Meeting The 10th Generation
by mangaanime15
Summary: Giotto makes a wish. He wants to meet the future generation of Vongola. He gets his wish. Unfortunately, the future generation gives him uneasy feeling especially their boss.
1. Chapter 1: Stupid Wish

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Read and review this. It always helps and encourages me to write fanfic.

Chapter 1: Stupid Wish

Giotto was the boss of the most powerful and influential mafia family in the world. He had everything. He had fame and power. Under his leadership, Vongola family had become a force that needed to be recon with. Everyone knew not to mess around with him. He had reliable and amazing guardians that he would not trade for anything although they can be crazy almost every time and had their own quirks. Like the time when they almost destroy the Vongola mansion due to a small joke by his bratty lighting guardian, Lampo. But, let's not get to there part. The point is Giotto practically didn't have anything to worry about except for one.

He worried about Vongola's future if he gone.

Okay, this maybe ridiculous to do so given the fact that Vongola is one of the most richest family in the world. They are successful in many business areas, legally or illegally. With steady growth in Vongola's power and size, one would say that Vongola would have a bright future ahead of them. But, Giotto didn't think so. Actually, he didn't worry whether Vongola will be in power after he gone or not. Giotto more worried if the next generation of Vongola would stray away from their original intention.

Originally, Giotto created Vongola as a vigilante group to protect and help people. And that's exactly what they do even though they slowly turned into mafia. But, Giotto knew better that mafia world is full with corruption and darkness. He couldn't help but wonder what could happen in the future. Will Vongola continue to protect the people like they did right now? Will it become just like any other mafia family that didn't mind killing to reach fame and power? So many 'what if' scenario that Giotto can think of. Unfortunately, it was more on bad thing than good thing.

Giotto had so many questions. And yet, he didn't have an answer for his questions. After all, his questions can only be can only be answered by looking into the future. Or, by some miracle, someone from the future popped in front of him. Giotto almost snorted at the absurd solution that he thinks of. Of course, his guardians knew something was bothering him. So, they decided to confront about this issue with their beloved boss at a night by cornering him into wall.

"Okay, split it out, Giotto. We know something bothering you," G asked straightforwardly, not bother to hide their intention.

"Maa, maa, calm down G. I'm sure Giotto will tell us," Asari beamed with his signature smile before turning seriously to Giotto, "Right, Giotto?" The last part was stretched to indicate that Asari meant it seriously.

Giotto sweatdropped. 'Was it really obvious? I thought I hid my worry well. But, damn, my guardians are good. What should I do? I don't want them to worry unnecessarily'

Before Giotto could think of a lie, Daemon cut in, "Kufufufufu, I suggest you don't try to lie us. If you do…"

"I'll arrest you for lying and misleading other people," Alaude flashed a pair of handcuff, leaking off deadly aura.

"Okay, okay," Giotto held up his hands. Geez, his friends can be really scary. "It's nothing." Giotto let out a sigh, "I just wondering what'll happen to Vongola family in the future."

"I EXTREAMLY DON"T UNDERSTAND," Knuckle said or shouted loudly.

Giotto winced at the volume. "Like I said before it's nothing." He sighed again when his guardians gave him 'I don't believe' look. "Okay, I just can't stop thinking what will happen to Vongola in the future. I know I create Vongola to protect people. But, what if they stray away from their original purpose? I don't want Vongola to become like other mafia family." He finished quietly.

"Tch, you're worried unnecessary thing," G said.

"That's right, Giotto. You should always be optimistic," Knuckle added.

"Kufufufu, but I had to say I am also interested with what you said," Daemon gave out his eerie chuckle. "But, unfortunately, you can only know if you go to the future or someone from future came to our era."

"Then, let's make a wish to shooting star."

Everyone turned to Asari who smiled happily as if he didn't suggest something stupid.

"Are you an idiot? Everyone knows shooting star can't grant wish. It's a common knowledge," G bellowed.

"But, it wouldn't hurt to try, right?" The rain guardian continued, unfazed by the storm guardian's comment.

"I supposed so," Giotto mused.

Suddenly, Lampo shouted and pointed his finger outside the window, "Look, a shooting star! Quick, make a wish, Giotto."

A collective groan can be heard from the adults at Lampo's childish antic. But, Giotto didn't want to disappoint Lampo so he made a wish for all of them. He closed his eyes and said loudly.

"I wish we can meet the future generation of Vongola family."

Giotto slowly opened his eyes. Nothing had happened. "I guess nothing happen," he said in dejected tone.

"Of course, nothing will happen," G scoffed, "Only an idiot….

POOOMMMM!

Suddenly, in front of them, a large smoke explosion occurred.

"…believe that…." G finished his words lamely as the whole room had been covered by smoke.

Everyone was stunned. But, they quickly got on their act as soon as they saw some figures in the smoke. It's not good to be gaping like an idiot when enemy (hopefully not) is in front of them.

"You, stupid cow, look what you have done!"

"Shut up, stupidera. You're the one who start it."

"Maa, maa, calm down, Gokudera, Lambo. I'm sure Lambo didn't mean to drop the bazooka."

"Shut up, baseball freak!"

"Oi, octopus head, what EXTREMELY happen here? Where are we?"

"Who's octopus head, turf top?"

"Mukuro-sama, what should we do now?"

"Kufufufu, it's seem we have been sent to the future again. I guess we have to wait for 5 minutes."

"For crowding around, I'll bite you to death."

"Kufufufu, I like to see how you do it."

The first generation sweat dropped at the intruders as they heard shout, metal clash and more bickering. Seriously, don't they realize their presence at all? The smoke was starting to clear away. They saw there are at least 8 intruders. The intruders were wearing suit. The first thing that came into the first generation's mind was mafia. They slowly drew out their weapon. Taking advantage of their intruders' obliviousness to surroundings, Giotto signaled his guardians to wait for the smoke to clear away before attacking the intruders. This should teach them a lesson to not show your back on your opponent.

Well, that was the plan.

Until they saw the scene unfolded in front of them.

A Lampo looked a like kid was pulling the hair of a boy who scarily resembled G except for his hair colour. Hell, he even has the same scowl on G's face when he got angry. Asari looked alike was laughing idiotly at them. Then, the clash of metal drew their attention to two boys who again looked like Alaude and Daemon. Not far from them, there were a girl and a boy. Giotto could swear the girl had the same pineapple hairstyle like the boy with trident. As for the Knuckle looked alike, he was cheering (more like shouting) the fight from the sideline. Aluade frowned at this scene. He didn't like to be ignored especially by a bunch of kids who eerily resemble them. Apparently, he was not the only one felt that.

"Who the hell are you? And how the hell did you get here?" G shouted, grabbing the kids' attention.

It really had immediate effect. The group stopped their bickering. There was a silence before a great outburst came.

"What the hell, how did you guys came alive?" G looked alike shout.

"Maa, maa, calm down, I'm sure this is some misunderstanding."

"Why are you EXTREAMLY here? Did you come to EXTREAMLY test us?"

"Tsuna, there's a ghost!" wailed the cow kid.

"Kufufufufu, it seems we are sent to the past instead of the future."

"What should we do, boss, Mukuro-sama?"

"You're annoying. For that, prepare to be bite to death." The tonfa wielding boy glared at the first generation for disrupting his fight with the pineapple boy. Without a warning, he launched his attack at his nearest target, Alaude.

Alaude quickly got ready into fighting stance. The boy aimed a hit on his head which Alaude managed to duck last minute. This attack seemed to be a cue for other guardian to fight and attack the intruders. And before Giotto knew, his guardians were fighting the kids in front of them. At the beginning, Giotto thought it was an easy fight. But, these kids are not easy picking. For a bunch of kids, they are surprising good at fighting. But, Giotto couldn't help but worry about the fight. It was starting to get out of control.

"Stop this right know." A clam voice with full authority echoed throughout the room.

Immediately, all occupants in the room froze. Yup, including the first generation. All heads turned to the voice owner. The first generation had the shock of their lifetime when they saw a mini Giotto in front of them, wearing almost the same suit and mantle like Giotto. The boy carried the aura of a boss, power and full of authority just like Giotto when he is in the boss mode. But, the boy was more serious than Giotto. His aura practically screamed 'I'm maybe look cute, adorable and small but I am more than strong enough to kick your ass so don't mess around with me'.

The only things that separated Giotto and the boy apart were their eyes and hair colour. If the guardians didn't know Giotto any better, they could swear the boy in front of them is Giotto's son. But, the thing that caught them the most was the ring on the boy's finger.

The sky Vongola ring.

Everyone was gaping. Well, not for Alaude. He's too cool to be seen gaping around like an idiot. But, you could see how shocked he was by watching how his eyebrows raised. Giotto turned his gaze on other kids. That was when he noticed all of the children had a ring that looked eerily resemble the Vongola ring. But, it can't be. They have the real ring. But, the children' ring didn't look like a cheap imitation ring to him.

"Cough."

Giotto quickly snapped out of his trance when he heard coughing sound from his mini. He suddenly remembered the current situation and he was acting like an idiot, standing around with mouth gaping like that. He quickly regained his composure. Giotto looked at the mini Giotto boy. The boy seemed to be the boss since everyone in his group was expecting some sort of order from him.

"I'm Giotto, Vongola Primo and these are my guardian," Giotto gestured his hand at his guardian. "G, my storm guardian, Asari, my rain guardian, Knuckle, my sun guardia, Alaude, my cloud guardian, Lampo, my lightning guardian and Daemon, my mist guardian." Then, in a firm tone, he asked, "Who are you? Which family are you from? And, how did you get here?" Giotto had a feeling where they came from but he needed to confirm it first.

The group was tense. They looked at their boss as if asking what they should do. The boy nodded slowly, still keeping a calm, calculative face.

"Tsk, Gokudera Hayato, storm guardian" G looked alike said.

"Ha, ha, ha, my name is Yamamoto Takeshi. I'm the rain guardian," the smiling kid answered.

"I'm Lambo-san, the great lightning guardian. Everyone bow on me."

Everyone sweat dropped at the cow kid's introduction. 'So, bratty.' Lambo seemed wanted to continue his great speech but one glance from their boss, the kid shut up.

"I'm Sasagawa Ryohei, the EXTREAM sun guardian." Everyone winced at the loud volume.

"Kufufufufu, I'm Rokudo Mokuro. This girl is Dokuro Chrome. We are the mist guardian," the pineapple haired boy said.

"Hn, Hibari Kyouya, cloud guardian," The skylark glared.

The first generation stared at the last boy. For some reason, waiting the answer from the boy made them felt nervous. Not like they're going to show it. The boy still looked calm despite being stared at by many people.

"My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi." The boy paused for an effect, "And, I am Vongola Decimo."

Silence. Then….

"WHAATTT!"


	2. Chapter 2: Uneasy Feeling

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: 13 reviews within 24 hours. Wow, that's a lot. Thanks, guys. Responding to Dream36's question, yes, English is not my first language. I'll try to reduce the error and mistake. Anyway, read and review this chapter.

Chapter 2: Uneasy Feeling

For a moment, nobody move from the spot. I mean how many times people actually popped out of nowhere and start telling they're from the future. That's crazy. But, the proof was in front of them. So, the first generation did the only logical thing that people normally do when they meet this kind situation.

"WHAATTT!"

They went into panic mode. Well, not everyone. Alaude just narrowed his eyes, eyeing the kids suspiciously.

"Kufufufu, it seems you got your wish, Giotto," Daemon chuckled.

Giotto was speechless. He didn't know whether he should felt happy or horrified.

"What the hell do you mean, Vongola Decimo. You're just a kid," G yelled.

Gokudera was seething. He won't let anyone insult Juudaime and get away with it even though that person is Primo's family.

"Juudaime is the Vongola boss. Do you have a problem with it, pinky?" Gokudera flashed his dynamites.

Now, G's angry level skyrocketed dramatically. There are two things you shouldn't insult in front G. First, his friend, especially Giotto. Second, his hair. That's it. G made up his mind. That Gokudera boy will go down.

"My hair is not pink. It's red," G growled dangerously, pointing his gun at Gokudera, "So, you better get it right or you'll be eating bullet."

Seeing the situation is escalating into an all out battle, Asari and Yamamoto decide to play as a peacemaker.

"Calm down, G. I'm sure he didn't mean it," Asari laughed good heartily.

"Yeah, calm down Gokudera. It's not everyday we meet our predecessors," Yamamoto said as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"SHUT UP, BASEBALL/FLUTE FREAK! HE"S THE ONE STARTS IT!" G and Gokudera shouted at the same time, glaring and pointing at each other.

Giotto sweat dropped at such childish answer. Unfortunately, Knuckle thought it's a cue to start a completion.

"Then, let's EXTREAMLY settle this with boxing!"

Of course, Ryohei who happened to be a boxing maniac, decided to join it as well. "I EXTREAMLY agree. Let's settle this with our fist."

Hibari and Alaude's eyebrows were twitching. They generally hated crowd. Crowd making loud, annoying noise definitely not improve their already sour mood. So, they did the only logical action in this situation (according to them anyway).

They beat those crowds into pulp.

Of course, Daemon and Mukuro didn't waste such chance to annoy the cloud guardians to no end. They started casting illusion and it's not a pleasant illusion. They were gory and sadistic illusion. This made Alaude and Hibari more annoyed. They hated illusions. Needless to say, it made them more violent.

"Kufufufu, it seems you have some talent in illusion," Daemon said.

"Kufufufu, of course, I'm more talented and better than you are after all," Mukuro gave his trademark chuckle.

Now, Daemon always prided himself as the best illusionist. To be insulted by a kid younger than him definitely didn't sit well for him.

"Is that a challenge?" Daemon's eyebrows twitched.

"I see you're not dumb enough not to realize it, Melon-head," Mukuro smirked.

Now, this kid's definitely going to be in Daemon's blacklist. Nobody can insult him like that. Without any delay, they started casting more and more horrifying illusions at each other. Sure, they aimed at each other but that didn't mean the bystanders are safe. Lampo and Lambo were almost scared for their life when they saw the illusion. Who didn't when the whole area turned into a void of darkness full with rotten zombies trying to kill you? As for Chrome, she just sat down, admiring Mukuro and Daemon's artwork. After all, it's not everyday you get to see such a wonderful artwork (to Chrome, Mukuro and Daemon) anyway.

Giotto was at lost. He didn't know what to do. The situation is starting to get out of control. At this rate, the room will be demolished meaning there will be more repairing meaning lots of paperworks to be done. Giotto shuddered at the mountain of paperworks he needed to do. He needed to stop them now. However, before he did anything, a stern voice rang throughout the room.

"Stop this instant right now." The voice sent chill down to everyone's spine, effectively stopping the fight. It was Tsuna. "Gokudera, put down your dynamites. We need this room to stay intact."

"But, Juudaime…."

"Do not make me repeat again," Tsuna said sternly, making Gokudera flinched and hide his dynamites.

Satisfied with Gokudera's action, Tsuna turned his attention to Hibari and Mukuro, "Hibari, stop fighting. Mukuro, you better get rid your illusions right now. You're scaring Lampo and Lambo."

Hibari grunted but obeyed anyway. He lowered down his tonfa. Mukuro too got rid his illusions. All first generation turned their attention to Tsuna. Giotto didn't want to admit it but this kid was good. He knew how to control his guardians.

"Primo, sorry for my friend's behaviours," Tsuna bowed a little. "I should watch over them. It won't happen again in the future."

"It's okay, Decimo." Giotto answered awkwardly. This boy is too serious for his own good.

"Are you sure he's from the future and Vongola Decimo. I mean he looks weak. Maybe he's some spy," G muttered loudly.

"G!" Giotto reprimanded.

"Why you….." Gokudera took out his dynamites but stopped when Tsuna raised his hand.

"Gokudera, stop," Tsuna glanced at Gokudera and turned his attention to G. "G-san, I can assure you me and my family are no spy. We are from the future and the tenth generation of Vongola family. If you want proof…" Tsuna flashed his Vongola ring for everyone to see clearly, "…this ring is more than enough as a proof."

"Kufufufu, you're probably right. If the ring is real, that is. How do we know the ring is not some cheap imitation ring to fool us," Daemon pointed out.

"You're probably right. But, can cheap imitation ring….." Tsuna concentrated on his ring. Suddenly, it burst into a high pure sky flame, "…..do this kind of trick?"

The first generation was stunned. Never before they saw a pure sky flame that can rival Giotto's flame. As much as they wanted to deny it, the proof was in front of them. They looked at the other kids. They too ignited their flame from their ring.

"I see, I believe what you said before," Giotto said slowly, "I apologize too for my friend's harsh accusion. Anyway, how did you guys get here?"

Tsuna frowned, "One of our technician was experimenting and modifying one of my friends' weapon. He was not supposed to use it," Tsuna glanced at Lambo, making him shrink, "Unfortunately, he didn't really learn his lesson and somehow got us blasted by that weapon. We sincerely apologize if we cause you problem but can you let us stay here for a moment until our technicians figure out how to bring us back."

"It's okay. You can stay here as long as you want. If you don't mind, let me show you your room," Giotto offered.

"Thanks, Primo."

As Giotto led the way, he couldn't help but analyzed the tenth family. Their rain guardian, Yamamoto Takeshi, was a happy go lucky guy like Asari. Actually, way too happy even by Asari's standard. It made Giotto wondered if he ever serious at anything at all. Then, there's Gokudera, the storm guardian. Giotto had to admit his temper can rival G's. But, at least, G can control his temper and didn't try to blow the entire room with dynamite.

Oh, don't forget the blood thirsty cloud guardian, Hibari and the creepy mist guardian, Mukuro. Luckily, the other mist guardian, Chrome, was not as creepy as Rokudo. But, she's too shy and timid for her own good. Not to mention, she's a girl. Bad thing can happen to her especially in the mafia world. Then, their lightning guardian was only a brat. For crying out loud, how was Lambo supposed to protect himself? He's barely 7 years old. How could Tsuna let Lambo got involved in mafia world? Giotto eyed Tsuna carefully.

The boy was short for his own age. But, Giotto knew better than to underestimate him. Judging by how he handled this whole trapped in the past situation and his eccentric guardians, he's a great boss. It was obvious how his friends respected him. But, Giotto thought the boy was too serious and uptight. For some reasons, it looked wrong to see such serious look on the boy's face. He's too young. He should laugh, smile and be more carefree like other kids. Not acting like an adult. Giotto couldn't help but felt uneasy with the tenth generation. His intuition kept telling him they're not what they seemed to be. He would observe them more later. Maybe he could ask help from his guardians.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Giotto said once they reached their destination.

Tsuna nodded. As soon as Giotto closed the door and went away, Tsuna locked the door. He turned to his mist guardians and ordered, "Chrome, Mukuro, create a barrier around this room. I don't want anyone to hear anything from the outside."

They nodded and tapped their tridents on the floor. Slowly, mist came out from the floor and covered the whole room. Then, the mist disappeared.

"It's done, boss. No one will hear what we say here," Chrome informed.

As soon as Tsuna heard this, he became visibly relax. Well, the relax expression didn't last longer when he suddenly fall on his knees and let out his trademark shriek, "HHIIIIII, we stuck in the past! What should we do now!"

All the guardians groaned and face palmed. Their boss had reverted back to his old, no good self. They couldn't help but wondered what they should do to get out from this mess.

At the hallway, Giotto could swear that he heard a girly shriek that awfully sounded like Tsuna. But, that's impossible. The boy was calm and collective. He definitely won't shriek like a girl. Giotto just shrugged. Maybe he was imaging thing. With all shock and stress, one could have a wild imagination.


	3. Chapter 3: How It Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Thanks a lot for your review. To be honest, I never think this fanfic will have a lot of viewers. To SkyGem, I'll consider about your suggestion. Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to review it.

Chapter 3: How It Begins

Sawada Tsunayoshi hated violence. He's a peaceful person. He preferred to settle things through peaceful way than fighting. So, many people might wonder how the hell this timid, small boy becomes the boss of the most powerful mafia family. Because, seriously, mafia world is full of violence and danger. It's damn obvious, this boy and mafia didn't mix well. In fact, most people didn't shock at all if he got killed the first day he became Vongola Decimo. So, how did Tsuna got into this mafia mess?

Simple. One word.

Reborn.

His stupid, spartan tutor really a devil in human (more like a baby) in disguise. Of course, Tsuna didn't tell it in front of him. He still wants to live thank you very much. But, sometimes, Tsuna wished he has the guts to smack Reborn's head especially for coming up with an idea to hold this stupid, crazy party. Unfortunately, he didn't. And, that's how he found himself ended up with this stupid party with all of his guardians.

Now, what kind of party Reborn held?

A matchmaking party.

That's right. You heard me right. A matchmaking party.

For crying out loud, he's sixteen. He's too young to get married. But, no. Reborn didn't listen. Reborn said if he was old enough to be a mafia boss, he's old enough to get married. What kind reasoning like that? He never wanted to be a mafia boss in the first place although he does have a girl in his mind. Tsuna blushed at this thought.

"No,no,no,no,no," Tsuna shook his head, "This isn't time to get daydreaming. I need to get out from here."

Now, after being trained by Reborn, Tsuna can handle a lot of things on his own. Beating up a man twice than his size, he can do it. Attending a meeting full of scary mafia bosses and making alliance with them, he can handle it. Calming down his guardians when they create havoc, he knew the trick. But, there's one thing Tsuna can't handle properly and his worst nightmare right after Reborn's training and paperwork.

Fangirls.

Now, when you have a cute, adorable face too good for you, you become the fangirls' target. And, believe me, it's not pretty nice. Unfortunately, being a mafia boss requires Tsuna to become a gentleman. He can't just out rightly reject them like that. Besides, Tsuna didn't think he can stand them. So, he decided to run away and ditched the party.

Unfortunately, Reborn won't let him.

That's how he found himself running away from a hoard of fangirls along with his guardians.

Now, why did his guardians join him in this crazy chase?

Simple.

Hibari hates crowd. But, as much as he hates crowd, he won't lower himself by beating up girls no matter how annoying they are. And as much as he didn't want to join Tsuna, all exits had been blocked by those fangirls. So, you could pretty much say Hibari didn't have any choice at all. As for Yamamoto, he thought it's a game and went along with it. Gokudera just followed Tsuna to make sure he's alright. After all, he's Tsuna's right arm man. Ryohei thought it's some sort exercise to build up speed. Mukuro saw it as a chance to annoy and taunt Hibari. Chrome just went wherever Mukuro went. Lambo followed because he wanted candy from Tsuna.

After an hour of chase, they managed to hide themselves in a storeroom. Unfortunately, the storeroom was small and they didn't have a choice but to cramp inside it which, of course, was uncomfortable. This started a chain of events. Ryohei who can't sit still decided to do a little punching exercise. He accidentally punched Gokudera who accidentally stepped on Lambo's foot. Being a crybaby, Lambo did the same usual thing, he cried loudly.

"Shut up, stupid cow, they'll hear you," Gokudera shouted.

Unfortunately, it just made Lambo's crying become worse. That's definitely didn't improve Hibari's mood. First, he's stuck with stupid crowd and a certain pineapple illusionist in a small storeroom. Then, he had to bear with that loud cry. That's it; they need to be bitten to death. Hibari raised his tonfa and started to attack. Before he could do that, Lambo pulled out his ten years bazooka from his hair. Tsuna gasped. If he remembered correctly, Giannini was modifying and experimenting on that bazooka yesterday, saying he wanted to understand it more. He had told Lambo not to use it since Giannini haven't finished his experiment. He needed to stop Lambo before…..

POOOMMMMM!

…..he uses that bazooka.

Too late.

He really needs to confiscate that bazooka from Lambo. Now, they got sent to the future again.

That's what he though.

Until he saw the first generation, standing alive in front of them.

Tsuna was gaping. His friends didn't seem to notice them, too engross with their bickering. However, G shouted seemed to snap them out from their bickering and stopped them at the same time. For a moment, there was a silence before…..

"What the hell, how did you guys came alive?" Gokudera shouted in disbelieved.

"Maa, maa, calm down, I'm sure this is some misunderstanding." Yamamoto smiled but behind that smile, Tsuna can see confusion in his eyes.

"Why are you EXTREAMLY here? Did you come to EXTREAMLY test us?"

"Tsuna, there's a ghost!" Lambo obviously assumed Primo's family is ghost.

"Kufufufufu, it seems we are sent to the past instead of the future," Mukuro chuckled.

"What should we do, boss, Mukuro-sama?" Chrome looked at Tsuna and Mukuro.

That snapped Tsuna out from his daze. He quickly regained his composure. God knows what Reborn will do if he knew him gaping like an idiot. He needed to convince Primo and his family that they're not their enemy as well as explaining everything. He was about to open his mouth when Hibari started to attack Alaude. Before he knew, thing started to become worse and worse.

Everyone was fighting.

He needed to stop this. He can't give bad impression to Primo family.

"What would Reborn do if he knows I can't look after my family and embarrass myself in front Primo," Tsuna wailed in his mind. Tsuna closed his eyes, "Okay, Tsuna, calm down, calm down. You can do this. You've handled many mafia bosses before, you'll definitely can handle Primo…." Pause for a moment, "Hopefully." Tsuna shook his head, "No,no,no,no,no, don't think negative. You can do this. You can pull this one. Think what Reborn will do if you fail." Cue of a shudder.

Tsuna took a deep breath. Tsuna still remembered Reborn's lesson on how to react when dealing with other mafia boss for the first time. Well, Primo hadn't met them yet. So, technically, this qualified as the first meeting. Meaning, Reborn's lesson should help him how to deal with Primo. The first rule, do not show fear and look pathetic in front them. Or else, they may think you're an easy picking and started bullying you around. Keep your cool no matter what. Second rule; make sure your family members (if you bring them along) are under control. It won't do a good thing to let everyone think you can't handle your own family member.

Remembering Reborn's lessons (and the torture he had to go through if he failed to follow) gave Tsuna courage. He slowly opened his eyes. Gone away hesitation, panic and worry in Tsuna's eyes. Instead, it was replaced with eyes full of confidence and calmness like a real mafia boss.

With a calm voice full with authority, Tsuna said, "Stop this right now."

It had immediate effect. Everyone stopped fighting. Inwardly, Tsuna happily cheered while maintaining his calm expression. He had stopped them from fighting and destroying the room at the same time. But, it didn't last long when he saw Primo family was gaping at him.

'What's wrong with them? Did I have something on his face?' Tsuna then remembered something, 'Oh, no, I had chocolate cake before. Did I have the icing on my face? Wait, does my suit look okay? I hid in dirty storeroom after all. It's all over. They must think I'm weird….' Before Tsuna went into panic mode, Inner Tsuna calmed him down, 'Stop, Tsuna. Don't think negative. This isn't the time to get panic. Your friends need you to handle this situation. They probably just shock to see people like you become the boss like other people. So, hold yourself together. You can do this.'

Tsuna coughed to get Primo family's attention. Tsuna felt his heart was to skip a beat when he heard Primo's questions. His friends were looking at him, silently asking him whether they should answer Primo's question. Tsuna nodded slowly. No use to hide the secret. They saw the ring after all. Might as well come clean with them. It's not like they're going to be overacted.

"WHAATTTT!"

Okay, maybe he didn't expect them to overreact like that after introducing himself. Was it really unbelievable for him to be Vongola Decimo? G's accusation didn't make him felt better at all and certainly didn't sit well with Gokudera too. Before Tsuna knew, another fight broke out. He almost had a panic attack at the damages done by Hibari. He tried as best as he can to remain calm and held his shriek back when Daemon and Mukuro started their gruesome illusion battle. He needed to control the situation before it's too late. Tsuna closed his eyes and counted into ten.

Then, with a stern, cold voice, he told them, "Stop this instant right now." Tsuna turned to Gokudera, "Gokudera, put down your dynamites. We need this room to stay intact."

Gokudera wanted to protest but Tsuna cut him in with the same stern, cold tone, effectively leaving no room for argument. Tsuna did the same thing to Hibari and Mukuro. As much as they hated it, they knew better than to mess around with Tsuna when he's in boss mode. Tsuna can be scary when he's in that mode. Not that they're going to tell him. So, they grudgingly followed his order. After calming down his guardians, Tsuna tried to explain the situation as calm as possible unaware how serious he looked like.

Lucky, he managed to convince Primo family they're the tenth generation of Vongola family. He was grateful that Primo allowed them to stay here. Primo's really a nice guy. However, he could feel how Primo was studying him and his family as he led the way to their room. Tsuna couldn't help but felt very anxious and worry. Did he do something wrong? The anxiety and pressure built up inside Tsuna as they're approaching their destination. He tried to stay as calm as possible.

As soon as Primo leaved the room, Tsuna quickly locked the room. He ordered Mukuro and Chrome to put a barrier around the room. He felt he can finally relax when Chrome said they had put up the barrier. All the pressures were finally lifted up from him. But, it didn't stay long when the current situation crashed down on him. They stuck in the past. How they're going to go back to their time, now? As soon as the gravity of the situation sunk into Tsuna's head, he can't control his panic mode anymore.

He fell on his knees and shrieked, "HHIIIIII, we stuck in the past! What should we do now!"

Lucky for him Primo family didn't hear his embarrassing shriek. Well, one of them did heard it but he just brushed it off. Lucky for you, Tsuna.


	4. Chapter 4: Stuck In The Past

Diclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Okay, first of all, thanks for the reviews and putting this story into your favourite story and story alert. Answering Rekishichizu's question, Lambo's 7, Mukuro, Hibari and Ryoher are 17 and the rests are 16. The 10th generation did get the upgrade for their rings. It's just that they can change their VG back to their original shape. So, they have gone through the Shimon's ordeal. Okay, read and review this chapter.

Chapter 4: Stuck In The Past

Reborn was strolling on the corridor. Currently, he was searching for his dame-student. His eyes glinted dangerously as Leon changed into gun in his hand. It's been awhile since he and his dame-student had hunting game like this. Of course, the hunter is Reborn and the hunted is Tsuna.

'That dame-Tsuna, he thinks he can just ditch the party just like that. I'll show him what happen for doing that.' Click sound can be heard from Reborn's gun. Various training (torture) regime ran through his mind. 'Now, where did they go?"

"WWAAAAHHHHHHH!" A cry can be heard from a distant. Obviously, Lambo's cry.

"Shut up, stupid cow, they'll hear you," Gokudera shouted.

Reborn pinpointed the noise came from a storeroom. He smirked, 'Dame-Tsuna need to find better place to hide. Seriously, a storeroom.'

Before he was able to turn the door knob, he heard explosion sound. Pink smoke came from the door's gap. Reborn quickly opened the door. He waved his hand to clear the smoke away. Once the smoke cleared, Reborn didn't found anyone. Instead, he found a bazooka lying innocently on the floor. It didn't take long for him to put pieces together. He waited for five minutes but nothing happened.

Reborn groaned and picked up the bazooka, 'Dame-Tsuna, you better be safe.'

With that, Reborn made his way to Giannini's room. He seriously needed to teach him a lesson for messing around with the ten years bazooka.

A certain technician felt shiver down to his spine.

* * *

><p>"HHIIIIII, we stuck in the past! What should we do now!" Tsuna shrieked.<p>

"Maa, maa, calm down, Tsuna. I'm sure everything will be okay," Yamamoto said.

"Yeah, Juudaime, Reborn will definitely figure out it something wrong happen to us," Gokudera added in, "You're not alone. We're here.

Tsuna nodded and smiled. He knew he can count on his guardians even thought each one of them has their own quirk. He straightened himself up when he suddenly remembered something.

"We're in the past right now. So, it's better not to tell Primo family about our future and let outside people know we're from future. We might accidentally change our future," Tsuna said, earning a nod from his guardians, "So, I suggest we turn the ring into our Vongola Gear. Make sure you hide the Vongola mark on our Vongola Gear. It'll be troublesome if people see us wearing Vongola ring or know we're from Vongola family. But, for Lambo, I think it's better if he just hide his ring since it's inconvenient to carry around a helmet."

Everyone nodded. That's sound a good idea to them.

"That also means no killing, maiming, or slashing anyone when we're here even though you may have some grudge with that person. Got it?" Tsuna gave a look to his guardians but the last part was specifically addressed to his cloud and mist guardians.

"Hn," Hibari grunted, glaring at Tsuna with his deadly glare.

"Oya, oya, Tsunayoshi, what make you thing I'm going to do that," Mukuro's eyes glinted dangerously, obviously didn't like the idea of unable to get even with a certain melon headed illusionist.

Tsuna gulped, "I know you may have some grudge with Daemon. But, you can't totally blame him for the Shimon accident. He just had misguided loyalty toward Vongola. So, please forgive him."

"Kufufufu, you're too soft for your own good, Tsunayoshi. But, fine. I'll listen to you since I owe you for getting me out from Vendice," Mukuro said before disappeared to god know where.

Tsuna looked at Hibari, "I won't promise. But, if they annoy or crowd around me…."

"You bastard, respect Juudaime!" Gokudera shouted.

"It's okay, Gokudera," Tsuna tried to calm down Gokudera. He then turned to Hibari, "I understand Hibari."

With that, Hibari walked away from their room, leaving them behind. Tsuna sighed. His cloud and mist guardians can be quite difficult to be handled.

"Let's get some rest. I had a feeling tomorrow will be a long day," Tsuna said.

* * *

><p>When the tenth generation went to the dining hall for breakfast, the first generation was stunned with the accessories wore by them. Ryohei was wearing a bangle. Yamamoto had a necklace. Hibari had a bracelet. Mukuro and Chrome were wearing earring. Gokudera had a belt while Tsuna had different ring on his finger. None of them was wearing their Vongola ring.<p>

Primo family thought the same thing in their mind, 'Where the hell did they get that thing from? And where are their Vongola rings?'

It was Lampo who voiced out their questions, "Where did you get those things?" He pointed at the Vongola Gear. "And what happened to your Vongola rings?"

"These accessories are our Vongola rings," Tsuna (in the boss mode) answered calmly.

"Huh, what do you mean?" G asked dumbly.

"It's simple. We change our ring into these accessories to avoid outsiders' suspicious. People would be questioning if they know two sets of Vongola rings exist at the same time when there should only be one set." Tsuna explained, changing his Vongola Gear into Vongola ring and back to Vongola Gear.

There was silence as Primo family tried to absorb the information. It's still unbelievable how they can change their rings just like that.

"Well, sit down and let's us eat breakfast now," Giotto spoke cheerfully, breaking the silence.

"Thank you, Primo," Tsuna bowed before taking his seat.

Giotto frowned at the formality, "You don't need to be formal with me, Decimo. You can call me Giotto, you know."

"No, you're our host. It's improper for me to do that, Primo," Tsuna said politely.

"It's Giotto."

"But…"

"It's Giotto. You can call me Giotto-san if it makes you comfortable."

"Okay, Pri…. I mean Giotto-san. You can call me Tsuna too."

Giotto sighed. This boy is too polite and serious. It's hard to get friendly with him. Not to mention, the boy's friends looked like they're going to kill each other at anytime. The Hibari kid was sitting far away from any of them. He and the Mukuro kid were having a glaring contest. Giotto was half expecting for them to jump and kill each other. Gokudera and Lambo were fighting while Yamamoto just laughed it off. As for Ryohei, he was busy digging the breakfast. Chrome was eating her meal quietly.

Giotto frowned. There's no bond between them. Their personality clashed greatly with each other. One would wonder if they're really a family. Giotto exchanged glance with his guardians. They too thought the same thing. Giotto can't help but wondered if Vongola was in the safe hand in the future. But, it's not nice to judge them too soon. They just only met in one day. Maybe he should get to know about them first. Good thing he had a good idea on how to approach them.

"Tsuna-kun, can you and your family help us with the upcoming party this week?" Giotto asked.

Tsuna contemplated for a moment, "Sure, it's a pleasure for us to help you and your family."

Then, they continued their breakfast in silence. Well, if you ignore Lambo and Gokudera's bickering, Mukuro and Hibari's glaring contest as well as Ryohei's shouts. Nevertheless, it was very awkward. Tsuna wanted to start a decent conversation with Primo but he didn't know how. He felt Primo was observing every inch of him as if trying to find something wrong in him. It made him nervous. It didn't made him better when his intuition told him that Primo was on his back.

'I just hope the day doesn't turn bad,' Tsuna wished in his heart

* * *

><p>"So, what you got to say for yourself," Reborn pointed his gun on Giannini's head.<p>

"Re-Reborn-san, please calm down. I can explain everything," Giannini shuttered.

"Well, explain now. Where did the bazooka send Tsuna and his family to?" A click sound can be heard.

"We-well, according to my calculation, they probably were sent to Primo's era." Reborn lowered his gun. "But, I still haven't found a way to bring them the back."

"How long it takes?"

"Maybe two weeks."

Reborn pressed the gun on Giannini's head, "I give you a week to find a way to bring them back."

"That's impossible. There are many things to be done," Giannini protested.

"Then, go and ask help from Souichi and Spanner," Reborn cut in.

"Reborn-san!" Speak of the devil. Souichi barged into the room followed behind by Spanner. "Reborn-san, we have a problem. I can't find Sawada-san anywhere."

Reborn sighed. He didn't have other choice except to explain everything to Souichi and Spanner. By the end of Reborn explanation, Souichi was horrified while Spanner was worried.

"Well, I guess we need to fix the bazooka then," Spanner said.

"But, what should we do now? We need Sawada-san right now. We need him to finish his paperworks," Souichi muttered, "And it can't be delayed either."

"It's okay. I'll take over while Tsuna's gone," Reborn answered.

"That's good. Let's go to Sawada-san's office. There're a lot of thing I need you to go through," Souichi exclaimed.

"I stay behind to help Giannini," Spanner said in bored tone.

Souichi nodded and went to Tsuna's office with Reborn on his shoulder. As soon as they reached the office, Shouichi opened the door. It turned out to be a huge mistake when a huge pile of paperworks poured out from the room, burying them. Reborn who was in deep thought, didn't have the chance to dodge away from the catastrophic. With great difficulty, Reborn dug himself out from the mountain of paperworks. Souichi was already out from it. Reborn growled. Why the hell there're so many paperworks?

He then remembered the reason why he held that matchmaking party to torture Tsuna. It was because Tsuna had skipped from his paperworks for one week. Since Tsuna was too busy hiding from him so he didn't had to go to the party, the paperworks had been left untouched. Meaning the paperworks had been piling up since then. When Souichi said there were a lot of paperworks to go through, he didn't imagine it will be a whole room of paperworks. Before Reborn could get himself out from the paperwork, another landslide of paperworks happened. Souichi gulped nervously.

"Souichi, I don't care what you do, bring back Tsuna and his family **as soon as possible**," A voice growled dangerously under the pile of paperworks.

"O-okay," Shouichi shuttered before running as far as he can from an angry hitman.

"Dame-Tsuna, when you get back here, I swear I'm going to make you regret for making me going through this," Reborn muttered darkly.

Back in the past, Tsuna shivered involuntarily. For some reason, he felt it had something to do with Reborn.


	5. Chapter 5: Trouble In The Town

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Okay, here's the new chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it. I got inspiration to do this story after listening the 14th ending song of Hitman Reborn anime. It's so interesting how they gather around HDWM Tsuna to take a picture without any destruction. Anyway, read and review this chapter okay.

Chapter 5: Trouble In The Town

"Is something wrong? You're shivering. Are you cold?" Giotto asked, noticing how Tsuna shivered as if some impending doom's going to happen.

"Nothing, Pri… I mean Giotto-san. I'm fine," Tsuna answered casually.

Tsuna inwardly cursed his almost slip out. Primo told him to call him by his name. Now, Primo definitely going to think he's a no good boss, unable to do such a simple request. And, he can't tell Giotto he was shivering because he was terrified of a certain devil tutor of his whom probably right now was planning effective method to torture him when he returned. If he and his family ever return, that is.

'No, stop. Don't think negative, Tsuna,' he shook his head lightly.

"What do you think about it, Tsuna?"

Tsuna blinked. He looked around to find everyone was looking at him. Tsuna used all of his self control to fight down the blush that crept into his face. He was thinking so deeply that he failed to notice what Primo said. Oh god, this is so embarrassing.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat it again? I didn't quite catch what you mean," Tsuna said, keeping his face as calm as possible. 'Hopefully, my boss façade will get me out from this mess. Fuuta did rank me number one as the boss who has the best boss façade in mafia world.' Tsuna inwardly comforted himself.

But, what Tsuna didn't know was his boss façade was also ranked number one as the most serious and scariest boss façade in the entire mafia world. Well, nobody's going to say anything about it since they don't want to hurt his feeling. Some people, in Hibari and Mukuro case, were too proud to tell him. It'll be like they're admitting they're scared at Tsuna and they rather died than doing it. Others like Reborn just did it for fun.

Giotto was taken aback by Tsuna's serious face. He saw a flash of red in Tsuna's face. But, it disappeared as soon as it appeared, making Giotto wondered if he saw it at all. Could it be Tsuna was offended by his suggestion? Honestly, Giotto didn't mean to make Tsuna offended. He didn't mean to make fun out of Tsuna. But, it's just a suggestion. There's no need to be offended. What's wrong with this kid?

'I better clear up the misunderstanding,' Giotto coughed to hide his shock expression, "I was wondering if you and your family want to go to town with us. You don't have other clothes except the one you're wearing right now. Our clothes were too big for you. So, I thought you might want to buy some clothes. Besides, there's party on this week," Tsuna nodded and Giotto quickly explained; "I'm not saying your clothes were wrong but you may want to change it to blend in with people in this era."

"I see. That's a good suggestion. But, we didn't have money from this era," Tsuna answered.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about money. We have a lot of money. We can buy it for you," Asari said.

"I see. Thank you very much. We'll go to town with you," Tsuna gave them a small, sincere, smile. He was a little relief that it was just about clothes.

Primo family was taken aback by that smile. Tsuna had a beautiful smile. Why the hell he didn't smile often? They wondered how it would be if the boy was laughing.

"Is it okay for you?" Tsuna asked his family.

"I'll agree if Juudaime agree," Gokudera answered.

"Ha, ha, ha, I want to go too but I want to go to weapon shop," Yamamoto said.

"Tsuna, Lambo-san wants to go to candy shop!"

"I –I want to go to bakery shop, Boss, if you don't mind," Chrome spoke shyly.

"Then, I'll company you my dear Chrome. We don't want some pedophile get you," Mukuro glanced at Daemon, making his eyebrows twitched.

"I want to find the EXTREAM boxing ring!" Ryohei shouted.

"You idiots, we're not going anywhere. We're going to clothes shop and that's final," Gokudera bellowed.

"Maa, maa, Gokudera don't be strict. It's not nice."

"Oya, oya, who gives you the authority to decide thing for us," Mukuro brought out his trident.

"What did you say?" Gokudera flashed his dynamites.

"Is this some kind EXTREAM match," Ryohei got ready into fighting stance.

It looked like a fight will happen at anytime soon. Primo family glanced at Tsuna. The boy still remained calm and collective as if his family was not fighting. But, in reality, Inner Tsuna was running around in circle, chanting, 'I'm doom. I'm doom. What should I do know? Primo family's watching right now. They must think I'm a lousy boss. I need to do something now!"

G was seething. For some reasons, the boy's calmness annoyed him to no end. Doesn't he care about his family? For crying out loud, his family is trying to kill each other. Do something about it. Before G could voice out his opinion, Tsuna raised his hand and slammed it on the table. Everyone froze.

'Ow, ow, ow, that's really hurt. I shouldn't slam my hand like that,' Inner Tsuna cried, rolling on the ground, in the back of Tsuna's mind. But, Tsuna hid his pain by calmly taking a sip of his tea. Then, with a calm, cold voice, he said, "Stop fighting. You can all go wherever you want after we buy our clothes as long as you're in a group."

Everyone nodded dumbly.

"Since we're new here, it might be better if each group has at least one of Giotto-san's guardians to show us around," Tsuna looked at Giotto, "Will this be okay for you, Giotto-san?"

"Oh, it's okay," Giotto nodded dumbly, still stunned how Tsuna controlled his guardians when he remembered something and started looking around, "Where's your cloud guardian, Tsuna?"

Everyone looked at Hibari's seat. Sure enough the seat was empty. Tsuna groaned internally. Hibari must have slipped away during the commotion. He must have decided the noise and the crowding were too much for his health.

"Giotto-san, don't worry about Hibari. He can look after himself," Tsuna replied.

Giotto frowned at the answer but he didn't push the subject. After all, Tsuna knew better his family than him. "If you say so…"

Alaude raised his eyebrows. He didn't sense his successor when he slipped away. He smirked. Maybe his successor wasn't a total lost. But, it was still rude. You should excuse yourself properly before leaving the dining hall. Alaude smirked grew wider. Well, he just needed to discipline him then. Maybe he could see if his fighting skill is at acceptable level. Besides, he had a score to settle with him. With that, Alaude stood up abruptly.

"Alaude, where are you going?" Giotto asked.

"Leaving and I hate crowding," Alaude said before making his exit.

Giotto just blinked and shrugged it off, "I guess it'll just be us."

The trip to the town was eventful. At least, they managed to get there in one piece. As soon as they bought the clothes, they each went their separate way. Yamamoto, Gokudera, Asari and G who were in a group decided to visit weapon store. Gokudera tagged along with Yamamoto much to his dismay but he needed to restock his dynamites. G went along because he wanted to observe his successor. Asari came because he shared the same interest in sword with Yamamoto.

Ryohei, Lambo, Knuckle and Lampo decided to form a group. They went to candy store although Lampo protested on how he needed to babysit a brat. Mukuro and Chrome decided to visit bakery store. Just to annoy Mukuro, Daemon decided to follow them. As much as he hated it, Mukuro knew they needed a guide. So, he begrudgingly accepted Daemon's offer. That's leave Tsuna and Giotto alone with each other. For a moment, there was a great silence between them. It was very awkward.

'Why the hell he doesn't say anything at all?' Both of them thought the same thing.

"So…. It's just us," Giotto started awkwardly. Internally, he cursed, 'Why the hell I say that? I should say something better.'

"Yeah," Tsuna answered shortly. 'Come on Tsuna, that's a lame respond. You can think a better reply than this,' He chided himself inwardly.

"You don't mind if we take a stroll around this town," Giotto asked.

"Sure," Tsuna nodded slowly.

Then, they walked in silence, keeping a distance from each other. Giotto was walking in front of Tsuna while Tsuna trailed behind him. It was very weird. Giotto threw a glance from time to time at Tsuna. That boy still maintained a calm and collective expression. '

'Why he doesn't look happy or smile? Does he hate walking with me?' Giotto wondered.

Giotto snapped out from his thought when the town people greeted him. He greeted them as he continued his walk. Little did he know, like him, Tsuna was observing him too.

'People really like Giotto-san. Unlike me…' Tsuna sulked. 'No, Tsuna think positive. You can do everything…. Ugh, I need to stop talking to myself.'

Well, it's not easy to become boss at a young age especially the boss of the most powerful mafia family. People often doubted his ability, partly because he's young and partly because he's not Italian. It's really suck. Everyone practically questioned his decision. Luckily, he had a great family. Reborn, his guardians and Nono always gave their support to him. It made him felt good to know there's someone watching over his back. Tsuna smiled at this thought. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the rock and tripped.

"EEEPPPPP!" Tsuna tried to stiff his shriek as he fall.

Giotto who was ahead of Tsuna, heard the shriek. He looked around but could not find the source of the shriek. It sounded awfully like Tsuna. He refused to believe such serious boy can produce such high pitch girly shriek. But, he can't just leave it just like that. What if someone's in trouble?

"Tsuna, did you hear the shriek?" Giotto asked, turning to Tsuna only to find Tsuna….

….standing calmly and collectively.

"No, I didn't hear anything," Tsuna lied, keeping his poker face. Inside his mind, Inner Tsuna was crying like a baby, 'Oh, no. I tripped. I tripped. Please don't let Giotto-san know this. He'll laugh at me if he knows.'

"Are you sure?" Giotto asked uncertainly, unable to decide if the boy was telling the truth or lie.

His intuition was telling him Tsuna was lying but the boy didn't seem to be lying. The boy was full of mysteries. Giotto wanted to ask a lot of question to him like why he was so serious, does he feel happy with his life and so on. But, before he could ask, they heard a shout.

"LET ME GO!"


	6. Chapter 6: An Outing Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Wow, I'm glad you enjoy my story. This chapter probably the longest chapter I write for this story. So, review and tell me what you think. It always gives me inspiration.

Chapter 6: An Outing Day

~With Gokudera, Yamamoto, G and Asari~

"Would you stop following me?" Gokudera shouted at Yamamoto.

"Maa, maa, calm down, Gokudera. We're going to visit the same store. Why not we go together?" Yamamoto laughed as if Gokudera didn't shout at him.

"Then, why are they here?" Gokudera pointed at G and Asari.

"Believe me, brat. I don't even want to go with you. If it's not because of Giotto, I rather die than hanging out with you," G grunted.

"Now, now, don't be mean G," Asari said gently. "We're here to make sure they don't go lost."

"He's got the point there, Gokudera," Yamamoto grinned. "Besides, Tsuna wants us to get along with Primo family."

"Tsk, if Juudaime said so…" Gokudera muttered.

"You guys seem to respect this Tsuna a lot," Asari spoke.

"Of course, Juudaime is the best. As his right hand man, I'm not going to let anyone insult him," Gokudera said in admiration.

"You're Tsuna's right hand man. Get real. I don't believe you," G scoffed.

"Why you….." Gokudera brought out his dynamites in a flash.

Yamamoto slung his arm over Gokudera's shoulder before Gokudera ignited his dynamites, "Now,now, Gokudera, lighten up a bit. There's no need to get serious in this game."

"Game?" G and Asari asked incredulously

"Yeah, the mafia game," Yamamoto grinned stupidly.

That really stopped G and Asari on their track. Did this kid really believe the whole mafia thing a game? Is he an idiot? Mafia thing is no game. It full with danger. Today, you maybe laugh with your friends and family. Next day, your body's maybe found in some smelly alley. This is no joke.

"My friends and I have been playing this game for a long time. We even have our own toy weapon. Gokudera has his firecracker while I have Shigure Kintoki," Yamamoto explained, pulling out his bamboo sword.

"Oi, baseball freak, my dynamites are not firecrackers," Gokudera shouted angrily.

"Ha, ha, ha, it's not. Sorry," Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't just shrug it off like that!" Gokudera yelled in frustration.

And so, the one sided argument between Gokudera and Yamamoto started. They were unaware how G and Asari were staring at them. G couldn't believe that the dynamite boy is his successor and Tsuna's right hand man. That boy had a short temper, to be reel like that. How he's supposed to be a good right hand man? Right hand man practically represented their boss in many delicate matters like arranging meeting with other family or negotiating business on behalf of his family when his boss can't attend to it. It's a job that cannot be taken lightly like that.

Not to mention, a boss's image is reflected by his right hand man's action. A single act can build or crush the boss's image. If Gokudera can be easily angered by Yamamoto like that how he's supposed to handle other delicate matters? Some situations required you to be patient and polite even though you're dying to blow others' face. Deep down inside his heart, G disapproved Gokudera as his successor. He couldn't help but worried about Vongola's future like Giotto.

The same thing happened to Asari. He frowned when he heard Yamamoto's explanation. True, Yamamoto was too carefree and a bit oblivious. Not to mention, he never seemed to be serious at anything, always laughing and smiling. But, Asari never expected Yamamoto's obliviousness to reach this high level. Heck, even Asari too is not that oblivious and has his serious moment. He started to wonder if it's alright for Yamamoto to be the rain guardian.

"You know mafia is not a game," Asari said, stopping Gokudera and Yamamoto's bickering.

"It is?" Yamamoto's eyes widened before laughing it off, "I don't know about it."

For some reasons, this reply made Asari angry. Before he could make a retort, they heard a shout from someone they knew.

"LET ME GO!"

* * *

><p>~With Chrome, Mukuro and Daemon~<p>

Daemon was seething. He wished he had his scythe on his hands so he could kill that pineapple boy right on the spot. But, Giotto had to interfere with his entertainment by forbidding him to kill that boy and taking way his scythe. Cursing Giotto under his breath, he looked at his successors. Who knows the mist guardian position will be succeeded by two people at the same time in the future? Well, Daemon didn't really mind about it as long as it wasn't that stupid pineapple boy and that timid girl. They're not fit to become mist guardian.

Daemon gritted his teeth, 'What the hell Decimo thinks when he chooses them as mist guardian?'

Now, why's Daemon so angry right now?

Simple.

It's because of Mukuro.

Now, what did Mukuro do to make Daemon so angry?

Oh, nothing much. Mukuro just cast illusion on Daemon. He just changed Daemon's clothes into a fluffy, frilly, pinky gown. A crown adorned on top of Daemon's head. Then, to add more effect, he made sparkling star and heart floating around Daemon. As a finishing touch, cute, adorable, fluffy, small animals like canary and rabbit surrounded Daemon, singing a song for him just like in Snow White fairy tale. Of course, all credit of thinking up this illusion went to Chrome who was silently squealing at such adorable scene in front of her.

But, that didn't stop her from worrying, "Mukuro-sama, is it really okay for us to do something like this? Won't boss be mad?"

"Kufufufufu, my dear Chrome, don't worry. Tsunayoshi said we can't kill, maim or slash anyone here. But, he never said we can't annoy people, cast illusion on them and messing around their mind," Mukuro chuckled.

Chrome sighed. Trust her Mukuro-sama to find the loophole in anything. "If you say so, Mukuro-sama," Chrome said.

Needless to say, Daemon was furious. It didn't improve his mood when he heard whispering from the town people.

"Mommy, look, there's a cute Princess," A little girls pointed innocently, "She even has cute animals."

"Hush, don't look at him," The mother eyed him worriedly; "Let's go home."

"Isn't that Daemon? Why he's wearing a girl's clothes?"

Some people didn't bother to hide their surprise, "Daemon and cute little animal together! The world must come to the end."

Others who were brave or stupid enough, bluntly and openly teased him.

"Hey, little princess, want to join us? We can buy you a drink," A bunch of men teased him but one deadly glare from Daemon shut them up.

"Oya, oya, it seems you're quite popular among the town people," Mukuro snickered and contemplated 'Ah, revenge is so sweet.'

That comment really made Daemon mad. Daemon shouted angrily, "Why you stupid pineapple head, if it isn't because Giotto confiscated my scythe, you won't be standing here right now. You'll be dead."

"Then, why don't you create your own scythe. You're a mist person, right? Surely, you could create it from nothing," Chrome pointed it out quietly.

There's a deadly silence as if Chrome had dropped a bomb. Nobody moved from their spot. Only cricket sound can be heard.

"Kufufufu, you never think about it, didn't you? I see you're not as bright as you portray yourself," Mukuro smirked in victory.

Daemon was trembling from head to toe. Never before he felt so humiliated like this. To think he was out witted by them. Unforgivable. He won't forgive them. He won't acknowledge them as the future mist guardian.

"I don't care what Giotto said, I'm going to kill you," Daemon charged at Mukuro with his newly created scythe.

Mukuro wanted to fight but he heard a shout from someone he knew.

"LET ME GO!"

Mukuro sighed but lit up a bit when he knew he had got his revenge, "Chrome, let's go now. It seems one of us has gotten into trouble."

Chrome nodded. With that, they disappeared into the thin air, leaving behind an outrageous Daemon, "Come back here, you brat. I'm not finish with you yet."

* * *

><p>~With Hibari and Alaude~<p>

Hibari was pissed off. Why did he agree to attend that stupid party? Oh, that's right. That baby promised a good fight between him and Tsuna. But, he never expected to be stuck in the past with the rests. They're so noisy and always crowding. He thought after slipping away from dining hall to visit the town himself, he can finally have the peace all to himself and Hibird. Unfortunately, it didn't happen like plan.

Some thugs decided to show him his place as they kindly said it. As everyone knew, Hibari didn't take order from anyone. To think someone dared to order him around was unthinkable. So, he beat them to pulp. On the brighter side, he got to vent out his anger on someone. It was much better this way. He thought he finally had the peace when Alaude decide to make his appearance.

Alaude raised his eyebrows when he saw the beaten up thugs. They were in a mess. Some had broken bone. Some had blood on their head. It was not a pretty sighted. He watched carefully as Hibari wiped out the blood from his tonfa. He could see from the way Hibari was glaring at him he didn't welcome his presence at all. such a bloodthirsty boy. There's no way Alaude going to let that boy to become his successor. Alaude narrowed his eyes, making an eye contact with Hibari as if challenging him. If Hibari was surprised, he didn't show it.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Hibird who sensed the tension quickly flew away from his master's shoulder. He knew better than to stay there when his master was fighting with other people. Alaude was too focused on Hibari that he didn't notice Hibird. The town people too can sense a fight going to happen. So, they made a circle around Hibari and Alaude to see the fight. Unfortunately, Hibari and Alaude were too busy staring at each other to notice this.

Hibari gave 'I don't care who you are' stare.

Alaude countered it by giving 'I don't give a damn thing about you. You're just a child' stare.

Hibari turned his stare into 'I'm not a child, you stupid old man' glare.

Alaude returned the glare with his 'I not old man, you idiot. I'm only 25' glare.

Hibari then gave a smug 'Well, suck to be you, old man' look.

Alaude was seething. That kid dared to mock at him. He's definitely not going to be defeated by this kid. There's no way his going to lose in this glaring contest. The bystanders, on the other hand, were puzzled. They're expecting the two guys in front to have a brawl or a fight. But, it seemed they were wrong. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving Hibari and Alaude alone with their glaring contest.

Alaude made a comeback by giving 'At least, I'm old enough to get married unlike someone' look.

Hibari replied by throwing a 'And yet, you didn't have any girlfriend. What a joke' smirk.

That really snapped out Alaude's self control. Never before he got beaten in glaring contest, much less to be mock like this. Alaude quickly pulled out his handcuff. Hibari didn't waste his time to get his trusty tonfa. But, before they could start their fight (a real fight this time, not glaring fight), they heard a shout.

"LET ME GO!"

* * *

><p>~With Ryouhei, Lambo, Knuckle and Lampo~<p>

Ryohei and Knuckle were carrying bags of candy while Lampo and Lambo were walking ahead of them. Knuckle observed his successor. Ryohei reminded him when he was young, when he still had a great passion on boxing. It's nice to have someone like that for a chat. But, he too couldn't help but felt worried. Ryohei was a bit too extreme in doing everything like when they bought the candy.

Originally, Knuckle just intended to buy one bag of candy. But, Ryohei thought it was extremely better for them if they bought ten bags instead. So, now, they needed to carry the whole bags. To make it worse, Lambo and Lampo didn't want to help. They had run off ahead. Typical spoil brat. They should think more about other people. He wished they learnt their lesson in someway.

As Lampo looked at Lambo, he can't help but felt worried. He was too young to be a guardian much less involve in mafia. Sure, he's the youngest in Primo family. But, at least, Giotto recruited him when he was 14, when he was able to make a decision himself. He wondered if Lambo was forced to join the family. He hoped not. But, that Tsuna guy is really scary. There's a chance Tsuna might be forcing Lambo. He was snapped out of his thought when he heard Lambo's shout.

"LET ME GO!"


	7. Chapter 7: A Hostage Situation

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn

A/N: Okay, in this chapter, there'll be some fight. But, writing a fighting scene is not my forte. So, please bear with it. Anyway, I'm glad you all like Alaude and Hibari's glaring contest. They always glare people. So, I thought it'll be fun if those glares can be use as a communication way. Oh, don't forget to read and review this chapter. Tell me what you think about this chapter. It always gives me inspiration to write.

Chapter 7: A Hostage Situation

Lambo was having a great day. Today, Tsuna had brought him to town to buy new clothes. Then, Ryohei had brought him to candy shop to buy candy. He was very happy when Ryohei bought him ten bags of candy. But, he didn't want to carry them. So, he decided to ditch them by going ahead of them. This proved to be a bad decision when he bumped into this big guy. The guy had a bunch of subordinates and was wearing a suit. He's probably a mafia. Lambo gulped nervously. The man didn't look very happy.

"Hey, look here. It's a brat," the man sneered, "Wearing a suit and pretending to be in mafia."

"LET ME GO!" Lambo yelled on top of his lung as the large man grabbed his collar, lifting him from the ground.

"Oh, he looks so scared. Want me to find your mummy?" The man mocked as his underlining laughed.

Lambo wanted to cry but he stiffed his sob. He's a guardian now. A guardian shouldn't cry. But, no matter how hard he tried, he can hold his tears. It's really pathetic. He wished someone was here to help him.

"LAMBO!"

Lambo turned his attention to the shout. It was Lampo's shout. He was breathing heavily. Nobody knew if it's because he was running on top of his speed to reach Lambo or because he was scared to deal with a bunch of people who looked like coming from a mafia family. Sure, Giotto did force him to fight on the frontline from time to time but he never let him did it alone. Giotto always made someone accompanied him. So, knowing that no one was there to back him up was very unnerving.

"Let-let him go right now," Lampo tried to sound brave despite the shuttering.

It was very weird seeing Lampo doing something like this. Lampo who is a crybaby, coward and spoil brat, actually stood up again a bunch of scary men even thought he was trembling in fear. Lampo himself didn't know why he did it. Perhaps he saw Lambo as his little brother.

"Well, look who's here. It's the Vongola family," A man with brown hair said in disgust. "Trying to act brave on us?"

The brown haired man gave a punch on Lampo's gut, causing Lampo to knee on the ground, touching his stomach. Lampo gasped in pain. Apparently, it was not enough for the man. He decided to kick Lampo's head. However, someone punched him first before he can kick. The man flew a few meters, lying unconscious.

"Allen!" The man's holding Lambo shouted in anger.

"Are you okay, Lampo?" A concern voice asked.

"Just leave this to us. You can rest now," Another voice said, "We'll settle this to the extreme."

Lampo looked at the voices. They were Knuckle and Ryohei. Knuckle helped Lampo to sit down and started to heal his wound with sun flame. Soon, the wound was healed. Lampo felt better but he immediately remembered Lambo.

"Quick, we need to save Lambo," Lambo tried to stand up, only to stagger and fell on his bottom.

"Calm down, Lampo. Just leave it to Ryohei," Knuckle gave a smile, "But, you did a good job standing up for Lambo alone."

Lampo's face was red from embarrassment. He felt proud and happy hearing Knuckle's compliment. But, at the same time, he felt ashamed; he can't do it properly at all and had to rely on a kid younger than him. The man clearly didn't like how this turned out. One of his strong minions, Allen, had been knocked out. It didn't make him felt better when some of them started to chicken out.

"What should we do, Alex-sama?" One of his minions asked in trembled.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get them," Alex, the man's holding Lambo, roared. "We outnumber them. We can beat them on the spot."

"Are you sure about it? We can wipe you on the floor right here and right now."

Everyone turned their heads to the new voice. It was G, holding a gun on his hand. Gokudera flashed his dynamites. Asari pulled out his katana.

Yamamoto grinned, swinging his bamboo sword like a stick, "Need a help in this game, sempai?"

Asari frowned at Yamamoto's carefree attitude. He said sternly, "This isn't a game, Yamamoto-kun."

"Ha, ha, ha, come on. Don't be so serious," Yamamoto laughed, completely ignoring Asari's building up irritation.

"Tsk, don't bother telling him. To him, mafia will always be a game," Gokudera grumbled.

Their conversation was interrupted by Ryohei's shout, "Octopus head, baseball freak, what take you so long?"

"Why you…. I'm not octopus head, turf top. You better get in your stupid head," Gokudera yelled back, facing at Ryohei.

"What was that? You want a fight?" Ryohei turned his attention to Gokudera.

"Bring it on!" Gokudera shouted.

Before it escalated into a fight, Yamamoto slung his arms over Ryohei and Gokudera's shoulder, "Maa, maa, calm down. There's no need to fight. We should get along together."

"Get off from me!" Gokudera shouted.

The first generation can't believe their eyes. So, were Alex and his men. For crying out loud, those kids were fighting in front of their enemy that could kill them in a blink of eyes. Not to mention, one of them has been held as a hostage. Don't they understand the gravity of this situation? The thugs can kill Lambo at anytime before they even knew. The first generation really needed to reconsider them as their successor.

"Hey, guys, I'm in danger you know," Lambo said as calm as possible before he snapped, "SO, HELP ME OUT!"

Lambo's shout stopped the bickering. They quickly turned their attention to Lambo.

"Ha, ha, ha, sorry, Lambo. We didn't notice you," Yamamoto smiled sheepishly.

"You, stupid cow, what did you do to get into this mess?" Gokudera yelled.

"How am I supposed to know bumping people can get me into this trouble?" Lambo yelled back.

"Don't worry, Lambo. We'll save you to the EXTREME!" Ryohei punched the air.

That shout really snapped Alex from his stupor. He barked an order to his men, "Well, what you're waiting for? Get them."

"Wait, you can't do this, G shouted, making his point, "Your family and our family have a truce."

"Well, too bad, this kid started it. He bumped into me," Alex snarled, shaking Lambo roughly.

"Can't you just forgive him? He's a child," Asari pointed out. "Besides, he just bumped into you. It's not like he's doing anything bad."

"Well, I don't care. Everyone, get them," Alex roared.

G cursed under his breath. So much for negotiation. He glanced at the tenth generation. Hopefully they can protect themselves. If thing got worse, he'll drag them out from this somehow. Then, after they settled this, he's going to have a word with them about their behaviours. G got himself ready for the fight. Asari, Knuckle and Lampo did the same thing too. Alex smirked as he saw the tense in Primo's guardians. He raised his hand and brought it down, signaling the attack to his men.

But, his men didn't follow his order. Instead, he heard a collective groan of pain behind his back. He turned around to meet a terrifying sight. He saw Alaude and some black haired kid beating up his men. They beat them up at a fast rate. It was like they were having a contest on how many people they can beat. G let out a whistle of appreciation. He never saw Alaude so motivated to fight like this. Unknown to everyone, the reasons Hibari and Alaude were so motivated to fight was because of a 'little chat' in the middle of their 'little contest'.

Alaude gave a 'I beat up 5 people already. How about you?' glance.

Hibari answered by giving 'I already beat up 10. Take that' smirk.

Alaude replied with "Don't be so cocky. You're just a kid.' piercing glare. Then, he threw a 'I have 15 now. My win' smug look at Hibari.

Hibari challenged Alaude's claim with his 'No, you don't. I have 20. It's my win, old man' annoying look.

Alaude gave 'I'm not old man. I'm still young' irritating look.

Hibari just put 'You're still old man to me' blank look on his face.

Alaude dismissed it with 'You won't say that after I beat you in this contest' smirk.

Hibari's reply was a 'Bring it on, old man. Like hell I'm going to let you win' defying glare.

Unknown to both of them, they had set the fastest and most violence fight had been seen in mafia history (in Giotto's era). Of course, nobody knew their 'chatting'. They're good at hiding their emotion after all. Alex looked terrified at the scene in front of him. All of his men were lying on the ground, beaten up badly. He doubted anyone can fight properly anymore. But, he can't just give in like that. It made him looked bad.

"Well, what are you doing? Get up! Get up! Go get them!" Alex yelled desperately.

Unfortunately, nobody moved from their spot. Alex was furious and scared at the same time. He was furious at how easy the Vongola defeated his men. He also felt scared when he thought what they would do to him now that he did have his men to protect him. It didn't make him feel any better when he heard an eerie chuckle.

"Kufufufufu, what we have here? A fight?"

Everyone looked around to find the voice owner as Mukuro and Chrome made their entrance.

"Where have you been, you stupid pineapple head?" Gokudera shouted.

"I was having fun in a lifetime," Mukuro smirked as he remembered Daemon's misery.

Suffice to say everyone including Alex shuddered in fear when they saw Mukuro's smirk. They could only pray for the poor soul (Daemon) who had become Mukuro's victim to survive alive. Nobody dared to push the subject anymore. Besides, they have a greater crisis in their hand now. Alex had decided to use Lambo as a hostage. He pressed a gun on Lampo's head.

"Don't move. If you move, I blow this kid's head," He shouted and fired once at the air to prove his point before pressing it again on Lambo's head.

"Oya, oya, it seems we have a hostage situation," Mukuro said in amusement.

"What should we do now, Mukuro-sama?" Chrome asked worriedly.

"Simple. We just watched," Mukuro answered without a trace of worry.

"Okay," Chrome nodded.

G, Asari, Lampo and Knuckle were shocked with Mukuro's answer and how easily Chrome accepted it. Don't they care about their friend?

"Ha, ha, ha, it seems thing getting more better and better," Yamamoto grinned.

"Shut up, baseball freak. Things are not getting better. They're getting worse," Gokudera shouted.

"Ha, ha, ha, don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine," Yamamoto grinned back.

"Yamamoto is EXTREMELY right. You need to be more optimistic, octopus head," Ryohei agreed.

The first generation was gawking at the scene in front of them. The tenth generation was fighting again. They completely ignored the hostage situation. This made them very frustrated with the tenth generation.

BANG!

All head turned to the sound. Alex had shot at the air again. He was clearly angry for being ignored like that. He pointed the gun at everyone.

"I'm not kidding around when I said I'll blow this kid's head. So, you better do what I say," Alex shouted, trying to intimidate them.

Primo family looked at the gun cautiously. They knew perfectly well that the man in front of them won't hesitate to go through his words. However, the tenth generation looked incredulously at Alex.

"Tsk, like we're going to listen to you. I only listen to Juudaime," Gokudera stated as a matter of fact.

Alex's eyes widened, "You don't care about this kid?"

"Ha, ha, ha, of course we care about him. It just that why bother to listen to you when we can save him," Yamamoto grinned.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Alex asked dumbly.

"Exactly what he means," An icy, deadly voice said, gripping Alex's hand so tightly that Alex thought his hand's going to break at anytime.

The pain was unbearable. Alex had to drop his gun. He didn't know how but somehow Lambo managed to slip away from his grip. Alex looked at his attacker who dared to attack him.

Vongola Primo?

But, wait.

Since when Primo has brown hair and eyes?

Before Alex's brain can process the information, his face met a punch.


	8. Chapter 8: A Not So Diplomatic Solution

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Wow. My dream has come true. I always wish my story has more than 100 reviews. It finally happens. Oh, that's right, as per suggestion from some reviews; I decided to beta my story first before publishing it. So, update on this story may not be as fast as before. Of course, all credit and thank go to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Anyway, as usual, review always inspire and made me happy.

Chapter 8: A Not So Diplomatic Solution

"LET ME GO!"

When Giotto and Tsuna heard Lambo's shout, it rang alarm bells in their heads. Their intuition told them something had happened to Lambo. Giotto hoped nothing bad happened to Lambo. After all, Lambo's not alone. He had Ryohei, Lampo and Knuckle to watch over him. But, it still didn't stop him from worrying. They quickly ran in the direction where the shout came from. To Giotto's surprise, Tsuna was able to keep up with him. In fact, he had a feeling Tsuna was holding back so he could catch up with him.

Giotto had to admit it was surprising for a boy like Tsuna to have a lot of stamina like this. It made him wonder if he was getting old. To be easily caught up by a boy who can barely be considered an adult. Maybe he should retire. Giotto shook his head. This isn't time for self-pity. He had a situation he needed to handle. One of his family members was in trouble. Well, to be more precise, Tsuna's family member. But Giotto considered Tsuna's family as his family, too. Giotto glanced at Tsuna, thinking a way to comfort and calm Tsuna down, expecting him to be worried.

To Giotto's surprise, Tsuna still maintained the calm and cool expression as if nothing had happened. Not a single trace of worry marred his face. Giotto didn't know about this boy but, if it was him and his family member was in immediate danger, he definitely wouldn't be able to fully stay calm and cool like that. Giotto wanted to smack Tsuna. True, Tsuna has the making of a great boss. But, this boy's as cold as ice. Show some worry, damn it! Doesn't he care about his family at all? Giotto didn't know whether he should feel happy that future Vongola is led by a great boss or feel worried that they have a young, cold boy as their boss.

_BANG!_

Giotto snapped out from his thought when he heard the gun shot. 'Oh, god. A gun shot. Please don't let anyone get shot,' Giotto prayed in his heart while Tsuna still kept his blank look.

Giotto and Tsuna sped up their pace. They could see their guardians from a distance. To Giotto's horror, Lambo has been held hostage. A guy was pointing a gun at his guardians. But, the thing that puzzled Giotto the most was why the hell were Tsuna's guardians bickering in the middle of a hostage situation. Were they out of their minds? They could anger that guy and tempt him into shooting Lambo's head! And true to Giotto's prediction, the guy was starting to get pissed off.

_BANG!_

A second gun shot resounded in the air. Luckily, that guy chose not to shoot Lambo. Instead, he shot at the air as a warning sign. Then, he yelled some threat. Giotto had no doubt that that guy would follow through on his threat. He cursed himself for agreeing to split up and not checking the surrounding for any rival family. Of all of days to be attacked, why they have to be attacked now? G's definitely going to nag him for his stupid carelessness after all of this was done. Giotto shook his head to clear his mind. He needed to come up with a plan. 'What do people often do in a hostage situation?' Giotto asked himself.

'Come on, Giotto. Think, think…'

* * *

><p>~Situation One~<p>

"Giotto-san, please help me. I'm scared," Lambo cried as the man pressed the gun on Lambo's head.

"Release him right now," Giotto demanded.

His guardians were at his back, getting ready to act if needed. Their weapons already pulled out. The tenth generation was watching from the sideline, praying for the Primo family's success. Hope can be seen in their eyes. Giotto quickly motioned his guardians to surround the guy. The guy looked scared to be cornered like that. It didn't make him feel any better when Giotto pointed his gun at him.

"Let that boy go! Or else… " Giotto said in a threatening tone, implying a great misery will befall the guy if he didn't obey Giotto's demand.

The guy was trembling in fear from head to toe. "S-stay away from me."

But Giotto ignored it. He kept walking up to the guy, slowly, gun ready in his hand.

"Stay away!" The guy said louder. "Didn't you hear me?"

Giotto ignored the guy again. He signaled his guardians to corner the male.

"Stay away… STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Giotto's eyes widened when he saw what the guy was going to do. He needed to stop it before the guy -

_BANG!_

- pulled the trigger.

A lifeless child body dropped on the ground.

"LAMBO!" Shouts of despair came from the tenth generation.

_BANG!_

Another gun shot was heard. Giotto whipped his head towards the guy. Instead of a trembling, living guy, he found a dead body. The man must have committed a suicide after thinking he couldn't get out from here. But, that's not the important thing right now. The important thing right now was Tsuna's family.

"Lambo, Lambo, please wake up. Don't die!" Tsuna sobbed.

"Stupid cow, wake up! This isn't time for sleeping," Gokudera yelled, trying to hide his sadness.

"Gokudera… " Yamamoto said, putting his hand on Gokudera's shoulder.

The tenth generation cried for the loss of their member. Even Hibari. You can see tears coming from his eyes as he kept his stoic face. It was truly a great loss for the tenth generation.

* * *

><p>"No, no, no," Giotto shook his head, "Forcing that guy to surrender is not a good idea. Maybe I should… "<p>

* * *

><p>~Situation Two~<p>

"Giotto-san, please help me. I'm scared," Lambo cried as the man pressed the gun on Lambo's head.

"Release him right now," Giotto demanded. "We'll do what ever you want."

His guardians were at his back, getting ready to act if needed. Their weapons already pulled out. The tenth generation was watching from the sideline, praying for the Primo family's success. Hope can be seen in their eyes.

"Then, clear the way," The guy demanded.

Giotto motioned his guardians to move. G and Alaude clearly didn't like it. But, it's not like they have a choice. That guy had a hostage.

The guy dragged Lambo with him as he passed by the Primo family. Primo's family watched him warily, ready to spring into action if needed. As their distance became greater, Giotto made a move to follow them.

But, the guy hissed, "Follow me and this brat will die."

And so, Giotto couldn't do anything except watch Lambo disappear with that guy. It didn't make him feel better when he heard Tsuna's cry.

"Lambo, Lambo, give Lambo back to me!"

"Calm down, Tsuna. We'll get him back somehow. He'll be safe. What's the worst thing that can happen to him?" Yamamoto tried to comfort Tsuna even though he didn't believe his own words.

"Well, I don't know. They could torture him, rape him, experiment on him over and over again or, in the worst case scenario, murder him," Mukuro muttered.

Mukuro's word really didn't calm Tsuna. Instead, it made his cry louder, "LAMBO!"

The tenth generation cried for the loss of their member. Even Hibari. You can see tears coming from his eyes as he kept his stoic face. It was truly a great loss for the tenth generation.

* * *

><p>"Crap, that's definitely not good, following that guy's demand like that," Giotto muttered, "Maybe I should try… "<p>

* * *

><p>~Situation Three~<p>

"Giotto-san, please help me. I'm scared," Lambo cried as the man pressed the gun on Lambo's head.

The guy threatened, "If you want this brat to stay alive, you better listen to me!"

"Do what you want. I don't care," Giotto said indifferently.

"HHIIIIII, what you mean by that, Giotto-san?" Tsuna shrieked.

"It's just like what I say. It's not like he's going to shoot Lambo," Giotto answered confidently.

"Hey, I'm not kidding around." That guy shouted angrily.

"Yes, you are," Giotto replied.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

_BANG!_

"There. Do you believe me now?" That guy yelled in frustration.

"NOOOO! LAMBOOO!" Tsuna yelled in despair as he saw Lambo's dead body.

The tenth generation cried for the loss of their member. Even Hibari. You can see tears coming from his eyes as he kept his stoic face. It was truly a great loss for the tenth generation.

* * *

><p>"Okay, pretending that guy is not a threat and ignoring him is definitely not an option. What should I do now?" Giotto raked his hair. He then blinked. 'Why the hell is Tsuna in my 'what if' situations so out of character? He looked like a wimpy, no good loser. Like hell he's going to shriek and sob like a little girl.' Giotto then sighed. 'I'm so stupid… Tsuna? Shrieking like a girl? If I keep imaging things like that, I swear I'll go to Knuckle for a checkup.'<p>

Giotto then focused back to the current problem. Guess he'll act according to the situation… Maybe he could ask Tsuna to come up with a plan. Giotto blinked again. Where the hell Tsuna go? When Giotto reached his guardians, he couldn't believe his eyes. Tsuna was gripping tightly onto the guy's hand. Giotto shivered in fear when he heard Tsuna's icy and deadly voice. Before he knew it, Tsuna had punched the man in the face and Lambo was already safe with his family.

The guy flew a few meters before crashing into the ground. Killing intent was pouring out from Tsuna's body. For a moment, it felt as if time had frozen. Nobody dared to move, especially the Primo family. They were so amazed with the fact that Tsuna was able to pack such powerful punch and had knocked down a guy who was twice his size. Not to mention, Tsuna had done it effortlessly. Alaude knew instantly that Tsuna was not someone you should mess around with.

With the same deadly voice, Tsuna turned to the remaining conscious thugs. "I don't appreciate having my family members taken as hostage. So, I suggest you take your boss and go away as far as possible before things turn bad."

Alex's men just nodded dumbly. They quickly picked up Alex and their friends before leaving the place as quickly as possible. As soon as they were out of Tsuna's sight, he stopped his killing intent. He then walked slowly to Lambo. His bang covered his expression.

"Are you okay, Lambo?" Tsuna asked calmly.

But Giotto could sense a tiny, barely concealed worry in Tsuna's voice despite his calmness. It was concealed so well that Giotto had to wonder if he'd sensed it in the first place. Maybe Tsuna wasn't as cold as he had thought.

Lambo was still shaking from the hostage situation but answered anyway. "I'm fine. He didn't really hurt me. Just pointed the gun at me."

For a moment, Tsuna's face softened and his eyes showed relief. Then, it was quickly replaced with his normal calm, collective face. Tsuna turned his attention to Giotto.

"Giotto-san, I think we've had enough outing for today. Why don't we go home now?" Tsuna calmly asked as if the hostage situation never happened.

Before Giotto could reply, an enraged Daemon wearing a fluffy, frilly, pink gown with a crown adorned on his head came out of nowhere. Primo's family was having the shock in their lifetime. They couldn't believe their eyes. Since when did Daemon become a cross dresser? And since when did he like to dress as a princess? Similar thing happened to the tenth generation though they already had the general idea of what truly happened.

Daemon yelled angrily, swinging around his scythe, "You, stupid pineapple head, come out if you're a man!"

"Oya, oya, I already know I'm a man. It's you who needs to check if you're a man because I bet no man would wear a fluffy, frilly, pink gown with a crown on his head," Mukuro smirked, bringing out his trident.

Snickers could be heard from Lambo, Lampo, Gokudera and G. Alaude and Hibari just smirked. Knuckle and Ryohei didn't bother to hide their laugh. Asari and Yamamoto just chuckled. A giggle could be heard from Chrome while Tsuna and Giotto tried as best as they could to cover their laugh with a cough.

"Why you little….." Daemon gritted his teeth.

Before things got worse, Tsuna interjected. "Daemon-san, can we know why you're so mad at Mukuro?"

"Your mist guardian cast an illusion on me. Now, I'm stuck in these stupid clothes," Daemon yelled.

"But, Daemon-san, it's just an illusion," Chrome pointed out.

"So, what? I don't care. He humiliated me in front of the town people!" Daemon shouted back.

"Then, why didn't you dispel it? It's just a low class illusion. I'm sure dispelling illusions is under the mist guardian's job description," Chrome answered quietly.

Silence.

A deadly silence.

"Kufufufufu, it seems my Chrome is smarter than you, melon head. Are you sure you're Primo's mist guardian?" Mukuro chuckled.

"I'm going to kill you!" Daemon yelled, unable to contain his anger.

Giotto, sensing Daemon was about to go berserk, quickly went into his HDWM mode. Without any delay, he froze Daemon from neck to toe. Of course, this only made Daemon angrier.

"Giotto, I demand you to release me!"

Giotto shook his head and said sternly, "Only after you calm down. Or, you can stay frozen like that for the rest of your life."

Daemon contemplated for a moment. Giotto didn't seem to be joking. He sighed, "I wish you hadn't made that stupid wish to meet the future generation of Vongola."

"I know. Me too," Giotto answered quietly as he came out from his HDWM mode.


	9. Chapter 9: Being Diplomat Is Tough

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Many people want me to let Giotto sees Tsuna's true personality in the reviews. Unfortunately, I still think the time isn't right yet. But, it did give me idea to write Giotto's 'what if' situation. Hopefully, this way people can see how Dame Tsuna and Giotto interact without disrupting my story flow. Besides, I always want to mess around with Giotto. Oh, before that, I would like to give my credit and thanks to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Anyway, review always makes me happy and gives me idea.

Chapter 9: Being Diplomat Is Tough

It was a wonderful day. The sun was out and shining nicely. The birds were chirping and flying happily. It was a perfect day for a picnic. A perfect day for a family to gather around for some family bonding. The first and tenth generation could have a picnic near the beautiful lake not far from Vongola mansion. They can go there by carriage. A 15 minute ride and they'd be there before they even knew it. They could do a lot of activities together.

Asari could play his flute for everyone. Yamamoto could teach Lampo and Lampo how to play baseball. Knuckle and Ryohei could have their friendly spar. Alaude and Hibari could enjoy watching the beautiful lake scenery while continuing their glaring contest. Chrome could prepare food for everyone. Mukuro and Daemon could have their illusion battle. G and Gokudera could smoke as much as they want. As for Tsuna and Giotto, they could relax themselves from their paperwork and boss duty.

It's a perfect way to spend such wonderful day.

Unfortunately, they didn't spend the day that way.

Now, how did they spend such wonderful day?

By having a serious meeting in a meeting room.

Now, when I mean serious, I **really, really **meant it. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Primo's family was sitting on one side of the conference table while the tenth generation sat on the opposite. Primo's face was serious. So was Tsuna's.

Now, why was this meeting so important that Giotto had to adopt his boss mode like Tsuna?

Suffice to say that this meeting will determine the future of diplomatic relationships between the Primo family and Decimo family as well as preventing any bloodshed between the two generations.

That's how important and serious this meeting was.

Now, everyone must be wondering what had caused this meeting to happen.

To understand better, we must rewind back to yesterday. To be more precise, right after they returned from town.

* * *

><p>~Flashback to yesterday~<p>

Primo's family didn't say anything on their ride home. They were quiet as though in deep thought. On the other hand, the Decimo family was lively. It was as if they had never faced the hostage situation. Somehow, this irked the Primo family to no end. As soon as they reached the mansion, Tsuna and his family excused themselves to return to their room. Primo's family, on the hand, gathered at the meeting room to discuss a very important issue.

The Decimo family.

"Daemon, make a barrier around this room," Giotto ordered.

"I've already made it. No one will hear us," Daemon said.

Giotto looked at his guardians before clearing his throat. "It has come to my attention that you have something to say regarding the Decimo family. Am I right?"

"Of course you're right. When did you ever get it wrong?" Daemon answered sarcastically while Giotto just laughed.

"So, what do you think about the Decimo family?" Giotto asked seriously this time.

G scowled a bit before answering, "I think they're a bunch of brats pretending to be a mafia. I still don't believe they're the tenth generation of Vongola."

"Now, now, G, don't lose your temper," Asari said before frowning. "Although I had to admit they're too carefree for their own good."

"Ore-sama doesn't think Lambo should be lightning guardian," Lampo voiced out his opinion.

"They are EXTREMLY not getting along with each other. It's EXTREMELY a miracle they haven't killed each other yet," Knuckle added.

"Then, I suggest we kill them right here, right now, especially that stupid pineapple boy," Daemon muttered angrily.

"I don't think that's not a good idea, Daemon," Giotto said before turning to Alaude. "What do you thing about them, Alaude?"

There was silence from Alaude before he answered, "Let's observe them more."

Giotto raised his eyebrows. Did Alaude just show interest in Decimo family? For Alaude to show interest like that, something must have happened. Alaude just glanced away from Giotto's curious gaze. Giotto sighed. He knew he won't get anything from him.

"I'm sure they're not that bad," Giotto muttered.

"Giotto, that Yamamoto kid thinks this whole mafia thing is a game. Do you believe that? Not to mention, that Gokudera kid has a high temper that could get them killed at anytime!" G yelled in frustration. He then calmed down and suggested, "I think we should rough them up a bit. Show them that the mafia world is not to be taken lightly."

"I still think killing them is a better idea," Daemon muttered.

"Daemon, we're not going to kill them," Giotto shouted in frustration. 'Really, can't he think of a better suggestion that's not too sadistic?'

"But, I agree with G. Maybe this will make them more serious and not take it as a game," Asari commented as he remembered Yamamoto's words.

"That's EXTREMELY right. At the rate they're going, I'm not surprised if they get themselves killed," Knuckled added.

"Okay, okay," Giotto held up his hands, "What do you want me to do?"

"We want you to tell Tsuna to train his guardians better," G said.

"Why am I the one who needs to tell Tsuna? And [ ] how the hell am I supposed to tell him?" Giotto asked.

"Because you're the boss. Figure it out yourself," His guardians said in union, except for Alaude.

Giotto sighed. He raked his hair. How _was_ he supposed to tell Tsuna about it? Tsuna may not show it but he can see that Tsuna cared for his guardians. Giotto sighed again. He hoped Tsuna can take his words calmly because he's pretty sure Tsuna wasn't going to like it.

Meanwhile, as Primo family was holding their secret meeting, the Decimo family also held a secret meeting of their own. As soon as they reached their room, Tsuna locked the door and ordered Chrome and Mukuro to create a barrier around the room.

"Mukuro, what did you do to Daemon?" Tsuna asked, only earning a chuckle from Mukuro. He sighed, "And Chrome, why you didn't stop him?"

"I – I already did, boss. But, Mukuro-sama didn't listen to me," Chrome answered timidly.

Tsuna raised his eyebrows and stared at Mukuro before shaking his head. "I seriously hope Shoichi and the rest have found a way to bring us back."

"We have….." A voice said.

"That's good….." Tsuna muttered before realizing something important. "Shoichi, is that you?" Tsuna shouted, looking around for him.

"That's right. I'm right here," Shoichi's voice can be heard again.

Suddenly, Tsuna's VG glowed brightly. Before they knew it, a hologram of Shoichi was standing in front of them. He was smiling at them. Tsuna and his friends were very shocked. They never expected to see Shoichi this way.

"SHOICHI!"

Shoichi just chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "Since you guys are so energetic, I can assume you're fine, right?"

"You don't know how glad we are to see you," Tsuna said before blinking. "Wait, did you just say you found a way to bring us back?"

"Well, after researching on the Ten-Year Bazooka and doing various calculations, we found out the reason why you were sent back 400 years ago. Tell me, did any of the Primo family members make any wish to a shooting star?" Shoichi asked in a calculating look.

Tsuna thought for a moment before answering, "Daemon did say Giotto-san made a wish to a shooting star to meet us….. Why? Is there something wrong?"

Shoichi sighed, "Is that so? That explains everything."

"Hey glass freak, explain everything," Gokudera yelled.

"Okay, okay, I'll explain," Shoichi held up his hands. "As you know, the Ten-Year Bazooka switches yourself with your ten years future self. Therefore, getting sent to the past, especially 400 years ago, is definitely impossible for the bazooka to do under normal circumstances."

"Under normal circumstances?" Tsuna raised his eyebrows.

"That's right. However, with the help of the Vongola rings and a shooting star, it is possible to travel to the past," Shoichi answered.

"I EXTREMELY don't understand," Ryouhei shouted. "What do Vongola rings and shooting stars have anything to do with this?"

"I'm going to explain that. As you know, Vongola rings represent the vertical dimensional axis in the Tri-ni-set that allows you to inherit Vongola time. Therefore, it is possible for you to travel to any timeline with the help of the Vongola rings using the inherited Vongola time. But, you still need to fulfill two certain conditions before being able to travel to the past."

"What're these conditions then?" Yamamoto asked.

"First, all ring holders must wish for it deep inside their hearts. It won't work if one of them backs out. The rings will grant their wish if their reasons are justified," Shoichi said.

"Then, all of the Primo family members must have wished to see us deep down inside their hearts. If not, we wouldn't be here," Mukuro muttered.

"Second, the rings must be powered by a lot of cosmic energy," Shoichi continued.

Gokudera's eyes widened in realization. "I see. So, that's how it happens."

"Err, Gokudera, can you explain what Shoichi means?" Tsuna asked.

"Of course, Juudaime," Gokudera exclaimed happily.

Tsuna immediately regretted his request when Gokudera wore his glasses and started tying up his hair, a marker in hand. A whiteboard full with complex mathematical equations appeared out of nowhere. Without any delay, Gokudera began his lecture on cosmic energy.

"As you know, everything in our universe has cosmic energy, including our bodies. However, our bodies only have a little cosmic energy. Therefore, it's hard for us to manifest it from our bodies. However, stars, planets and shooting stars are different. They…"

Gokudera's hand had already begun writing and drawing out complicated equations and diagrams as he explained. Tsuna could only gape at Gokudera's explanation. He didn't understand anything at all. Heck, everybody with the exception of Shoichi had difficulty grasping the concept. They could only just nod dumbly.

"…And, that's how the Vongola ring can be used to time travel with the help of a shooting star," Gokudera finished his two hour lecture much to everyone's relief. He beamed to Tsuna, "So, do you understand, Juudaime?"

"Err, I didn't really understand, Gokudera," Tsuna answered sheepishly.

Before Gokudera could start another lecture on cosmic energy, Yamamoto covered Gokudera's mouth with his hand and asked Shoichi, "Ha, ha, ha, can you explain it in a simpler way, Shoichi?"

Shoichi fixed his glasses. "Basically, shooting stars have a lot of cosmic energy, enough to bring you to the past. With the cosmic energy from the shooting star and the resolution from Primo family's wish, it's possible for the Vongola ring to send you back to the past."

"OOOHHHH!" Everyone chorused at the same time.

"I get how we ended up here now. But, how are we going home?" Chrome asked.

"The same way how you got there," Souichi replied casually. "Use the Vongola rings."

"Alright everyone, let's make a wish to go back to our time with the Vongola rings," Tsuna said eagerly. Tsuna really wanted to go home. He had a lot of paperwork to do. He then shuddered at the amount of paperwork occupying the whole office. Hopefully, Reborn won't kill him when he returned for that.

They all closed their eyes and wished to go back to their time. Unfortunately, nothing happened at all. Confusion can be seen in their eyes.

"Why didn't it EXTREMELY work?" Ryohei asked.

"Glass freak, you better explain everything," Gokudera scowled.

Shoichi fidgeted nervously, "Well, when I mean Vongola ring, I didn't mean your Vongola ring. I meant the Primo family's Vongola ring. You see, their rings brought you to the past. So, naturally, you need their rings to return home."

"Okay, let's ask for help from the Primo family," Tsuna piped in.

"It's not as easy as that, Tsuna." Shoichi sighed before explaining, "There's a reason why the rings granted the Primo family's wish. Even if you do get them to agree in helping you, as long as you don't find the reason behind their wish and fix it, you will still be stuck in the past."

"But, I don't think the Primo family had any problems in dealing with their enemies. So, what's the reason for them wanting to meet us?" Tsuna asked, tapping his chin.

Shoichi shrugged, "You have to figure it out yourself. I'll contact you if I find anything new."

With that, the hologram disappeared and Tsuna's VG stopped glowing. Tsuna sighed in relief. At least they knew how to get back to their time. Now, if only they knew the reason why they were sent here. Primo's family didn't seem to be in any big trouble or life-threatening situation. So, why did they want to meet them?

"Kufufufu, I guess the best way for us to find out is by asking the Primo family directly," Mukuro said.

As soon as Mukuro said this, everyone turned to Tsuna, making him sweat drop, "Err, why are you guys staring at me?"

"Herbivore, go ask Primo about it," Hibari ordered.

"Why am I the one who needs to ask him? And how am I supposed to do that?" Tsuna asked.

"Because you're the boss. Figure it out yourself," Everyone chorused.

Tsuna sighed. Figured it had to be him. Well, guess he could ask Giotto at dinner time. Unfortunately for Tsuna, his plan flew out of window when his family started a fight, making G very angry.

"Would you stop this childish fight?" G slammed his fist on the dining table. "Are you really the tenth generation of Vongola?"

"You have an issue with that?" Gokudera shouted.

"Yeah, I have a _lot_ of issues with your family. You're staying here so you _will_ follow the rules," G shouted back.

"I don't take order from you, _Pinky_," Gokudera growled.

Giotto could see thing's getting worse. How was he supposed to talk to Tsuna if their families were fighting like this? It didn't make things any better when Daemon joined the fry. Soon, an all-out fight broke between the two generations.

Tsuna and Giotto had about enough as they could tolerate. They both slammed their hands and shouted at the same time, "Enough of this!"

Everyone froze and grew silent. They knew it was not good to make their bosses angry. Everyone quickly returned to their seats.

"Giotto-san, it seems as though your family has a lot of issues with my family. Can we discuss it in deep tomorrow morning? Perhaps we can find solution for these issues in diplomatic way," Tsuna said calmly and added in his mind, 'As well as the reason why you wanted to meet us.'

Giotto paused for a moment. The way Tsuna said it was as if they were negotiating an alliance treaty. He didn't like it. They're from the same family even if from different generations. Not some random strangers. But, if he planned it properly and used it to his advantage, he might be able to know more about Tsuna and his family. Because seriously, they didn't know much about the Decimo family aside their names and that they were from future. Maybe he'll know why Tsuna was so serious and uptight all the time.

"Alright, I accept," Giotto said.

~End of falshback~

* * *

><p>And that brings us to this current situation.<p>

Giotto and Tsuna had the same thought in their mind, 'I'll make sure to get something from this meeting. There's no way I'm going home empty-handed.'

And so, the diplomatic battle between Tsuna and Giotto began.


	10. Chapter 10: A Diplomatic Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Hello, everyone. Thank for reviewing my story. Oh, I would also like to give my thanks and credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story and helping me making it better. I got the idea of making diplomatic battle from the fact that Tsuna hates fighting and violence. But, I want to see Tsuna fighting Giotto. So, I just had to figure a battle between them that's not involving violence. That's how diplomatic battle comes to my mind. Anyway, reviews always make me happy.

Chapter 10: A Diplomatic Battle

When people are asked for the single most important skill a mafia boss should have, they will probably pick an expertise related to fighting. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Sure, great fighting skills can instill fear, awe and respect. You can always force your way onto other people. However, as you grow older and older, those skills will start to diminish. Not to mention, it didn't guarantee in helping you keep the destruction to a minimum level and, consequently, reduce your paperwork. So, if it's not fighting skills, what's the most important skill a mafia boss should have?

Diplomacy and negotiation.

Some people may see this form of "art" as one suited only for a coward. In the mafia world, if you wanted something, you take it. You don't negotiate your way with other people. But, they are completely wrong. Diplomatic skills are far from useless. With this skill, you can bend other people's wills according to your own. You can avoid unnecessary fighting. You can even make alliance treaties with other families. Hell, if you're good, you won't need to waste energy in getting what you want, be it information, money or anything. With a few well-placed words, all can be obtainable.

Unfortunately, not everyone can use this skill effectively. You need to know how to read people's minds, master the art of making a decent conversation, adapt to changes in surroundings, and be knowledgeable in many areas even if it's deemed unimportant by society. Therefore, Reborn had taken upon himself to drill _everything_ into his student's thick head. However, Tsuna still wasn't sure whether his skills were enough to take down Giotto.

Giotto eyed his successor with calculative eyes. He wondered how good Tsuna's diplomatic skills were. Judging by Tsuna's appearance and young age, he didn't think the boy had a lot of experience in handling diplomatic situations. But, Giotto knew the mafia world was full of surprises. For Tsuna to be chosen as Vongola Decimo at such a young age, he must have at least _some_ skills. If not, then how else was he supposed to make his family obey and respect him?

'How you start a diplomatic meeting can decide the outcome. Tsuna doesn't seem to be nervous about this meeting at all. Maybe I can use _that_ strategy to test his reaction,' Giotto mused.

"So, Decimo, I assume you know the reason why we're holding this meeting. Shall we begin it now?" Giotto asked in a serious, stern tone, opting to call Tsuna as Decimo rather than his name to add more effect.

The room temperature suddenly dropped. Everyone could feel the strong boss aura virtually burning with confidence and authority coming from Giotto. For side information purposes, Giotto had just used the 'intimidate your opponent until they pee in their pants using boss aura' strategy on Tsuna – a common tactic used by every mafia boss. It's usually useful in pressing people to agree with what you want. Of course, the effectiveness of this strategy depended greatly on the strength of your boss aura.

You also needed to consider your opponent's experience and competency. The more experienced and competent your opponent was, the less likely for this strategy to work. Therefore, this strategy is often used on young mafia bosses since they don't really have experience on how to counter it effectively. So, in a way, this tactic is also used to gauge your opponent's abilities. Tsuna almost chuckled at Giotto's strategy. He had dealt with many people whose auras were ten times scarier than Giotto's. It's a piece of cake for him to just shrug it off.

"Sure, Primo," Tsuna said, deciding to formally call Giotto as Primo for this meeting.

Giotto raised his eyebrows. Did his strategy not work? Usually people would cow under his boss aura. But, this boy just shrugged it off as if it was nothing. Maybe he should use a higher leveled strategy.

"Well, it came to my attention that your mist guardians, Mukuro and Chrome, had created a lot of trouble for my mist guardian, Daemon. Would you mind explaining the reason behind your mist guardians' intentions?" Giotto asked.

A snort can be heard from Daemon. Giotto gave Daemon a reprimanding glance before turning his attention back to Tsuna.

"I apologize for my mist guardians' actions. I don't really think they meant any harm in…" Tsuna tried to find a suitable excuse to cover his mist guardians, "…their pranks."

"Prank? Prank!" Daemon yelled incoherently. "That pineapple boy humiliated me in front everyone. Now, I can't go into town without being teased at."

"Oya, oya, it can't be that bad. Think of it in a positive light. We increased your popularity amongst the town people, after all. So, you should be thankful to us," Mukuro said cheekily.

"Besides, it's not our fault you're forgetful enough to not use your skills," Chrome added quietly.

"Just exactly like my dear Chrome said," Mukuro chuckled.

Before the argument could worsen, Tsuna took control the situation. "Mukuro, Chrome, stop it." Tsuna then turned to Giotto and Daemon, "I apologize for their actions. I'll make sure it won't happen again in the future."

Giotto decided it was the perfect time to make his move. It's now or never. This will determine the success of his plan.

'You better get ready Tsuna because I'm not going to hold back,' Giotto thought.

Tsuna didn't like the glint in Giotto's eyes. He had a feeling Primo was going to use a devastating strategy on him. But, Tsuna kept his cool and calm face. No good to let your opponent know you were panicking.

"I'm not so sure if it's just your mist guardians that you need to watch over, Decimo," Giotto said casually before adding, "I think it's wise for you to watch over the rest of your guardians as well."

Tsuna's intuition quickly raised a red flag. He didn't like the way this meeting was going. Maintaining his calmness, Tsuna asked, "What do you mean, Primo?"

"It came to our attention that your friends are not good enough to handle their responsibilities as Vongola guardians," Giotto said as if it was a normal thing. "Your cloud guardian is too violent. Your mist guardian, Mukuro, is too creepy and sadistic, while the other one, Chrome, is too timid for her own good. Not to mention, your sun and rain guardians don't seem to take their responsibilities seriously. Let's not forget your lightning guardian. He is too young for this position. Lastly, your storm guardian has a very short temper."

The temperature in the meeting room immediately dropped below zero. Mukuro and Hibari were glaring, itching to get their weapons. Gokudera was scowling. Lambo and Chrome looked disappointed. Ryohei was about ready to explode but was calmed down by Yamamoto who had an edgy smile on his face. They clearly didn't like what Giotto had said at all.

Irritation and anger began to creep into Tsuna's heart, 'How could Giotto-san say something like that? He had no right to right to say that to them.'

Giotto crackled evilly in his mind. There's no way Tsuna can dodge his mental attack now. He doubted Tsuna could stay calm after that jab. So, he decided to increase the stake to see Tsuna's reaction. Maybe Tsuna will slip up and he could use the opportunity to carry out his plan in getting to better know the Decimo family.

"It wouldn't benefit the future Vongola to have such guardians. It'd be nice if you could train them better. After all, you don't want to waste our efforts in creating the Vongola, right?" Giotto smirked.

Tsuna gritted his teeth while remaining as calm as possible. He couldn't believe his eyes and ears. Giotto had just used a combo attack on him. And not some random combo; it had to be _that_ combo. A combo attack that could crush your opponent almost instantly. Tsuna knew he needed to retaliate if he wanted to survive this.

Now, what combo attack did Giotto just use on Tsuna?

Giotto had used the 'make your opponent angry by insulting them' tactic, followed by the 'guilt trip your opponent to no end' strategy.

Now, why were these two strategies such a deadly combo attack?

The 'make your opponent angry by insulting them' strategy is also one of the more common strategies used by mafia bosses in diplomatic battles. Anger can easily cloud one's judgment. Therefore, by making them angry, you can lure them into making mistakes. Hell, if you're smart (and brave) enough, you can accuse and frame them for disrupting the meeting when they get violent since, in a mafia meeting, no one is allowed to start a fight. Thus, the effectiveness of this strategy relies greatly on how good you are at verbal abuse.

However, the downside of this strategy is that it's very easy to spark a fight whenever said tactic is used. Therefore, it is suggested for you to have decent fighting skills to back up your insult; otherwise, you may find yourself decorated in black and blue.

For this strategy to have a greater effect, it's also suggested for you to use it together with the 'guilt trip your opponent to no end' strategy since they work well together. It will make them to think twice before punching you.

As the name of strategy implies, you will try to guilt trip your opponents, making them hesitate and unsure about their decisions. It's common knowledge that, in the mafia world, hesitation can lead to your downfall. In the midst of hesitation, you can make them agree with you by planting a seed of doubt. Of course, to use this strategy effectively, you must also know your opponent's dirty secrets and weaknesses. As such, it's advisable for you to do a background check on them first before going to the meeting.

This really put Tsuna in a tight spot. If he remained silent, it would be like he's admitting what Giotto had said was true. And, Tsuna would rather die than do that. His guardians were not useless. They're the best guardians in the world, even if they had their own shortcomings. But, if Tsuna made a ruthless comment about it, Giotto might use this to pin everything down on Tsuna. Tsuna debated what he should do in his mind. After a while, he came to a conclusion. He was going to use it. To hell with the consequences of this tactic. Giotto can suddenly sense a change in Tsuna's aura.

"Are you really sure my family is the only one that needs to be trained?" Tsuna chuckled before smirking. "Because I'm pretty sure the same no good guardians of mine can mop the floor with your guardians in the blink of an eye. In my opinion, _your guardians _are the ones who need more training. In fact, I think my guardians are more than happy to demonstrate it to you."

Giotto was shocked. To think Tsuna would pull the 'belittling your opponent by bragging yourself' strategy on him. That was a very bold move. This strategy not only boasted your image in front of your opponents but also lured them into getting angry and making mistakes. Of course, you needed to make sure you can back up your claim when you're bragging about yourself. As such, it's advisable for you to display some of your bragged skills beforehand to make sure they don't think you were lying.

Now, it was Giotto's turned to get angry. But, like Tsuna, he tried as best as he could to not let his anger get the best of him. Giotto's guardians struggled just as hard to refrain themselves from jumping on Tsuna and strangling him on the spot. It definitely didn't make things better when they heard snickers from Tsuna's guardians. Giotto decided it was the right time to set his plan in motion.

"Then, you don't mind proving it to us, right?" Giotto asked.

Tsuna's intuition told him there was more to it in Giotto's request. He had a feeling that whatever Giotto was going to ask had something to do with the reason why they were sent to the past.

"Sure. It'll be a pleasure for us," Tsuna nodded.

"Great," Giotto rubbed his hands. "As you know, there's going to be a party this week. But alas, we don't have enough people to help us in our preparations. So, you wouldn't mind helping us, right?"

Tsuna thought for a moment. This was a great opportunity. They can get close to the Primo family _and_ figure out whatever reason they had for wanting to meet their generation. It was like killing two birds with one stone. With a bit of luck, this will improve the relationship between their families. Besides, he didn't see any harm in Giotto's request. It's not like he had asked them to do something dangerous… hopefully.

"I agree. So, when can we start helping you with preparations?" Tsuna asked.

"Starting tomorrow. My guardians will tell you what to do," Giotto answered.

With that, they ended the meeting. The Decimo family retreated to their room while the Primo family remained in the meeting room. If they were going to ask for the Decimo family's help, they needed to discuss how to divide the tasks amongst them and with whom should they be paired with. Later, it was agreed that each guardian would be paired with their successor(s) much to Daemon's dismay. As for the Decimo family, as soon as they reached their room, Mukuro and Chrome quickly cast a barrier. Tsuna sat on the bed tiredly. That meeting really wore him out. There was a silence before Gokudera broke it.

"Juudaime, thanks for defending us back there," Gokudera said.

"Yeah, Tsuna. You didn't need to do it, you know," Yamamoto added.

"It's okay. You're not only my guardians but also my friends and family. I'm not going to sit by and watch someone insult my friends," Tsuna spoke in determination.

Everyone was speechless. They were touched by Tsuna's speech. Of course, Mukuro and Hibari didn't show it. It'd be embarrassing if everyone knew. Before anyone could say anything to Tsuna, Tsuna's VG started to glow again. The hologram of Shoichi suddenly appeared before them.

"Hi, everyone. Is everything okay?" Shoichi asked. At this question, almost everyone growled. Shoichi sweat dropped, "I guess it's not that okay. So, did you find the reason yet?"

"No, we haven't," Tsuna answered before adding, "But, we're making progress toward it."

"That's good because you need to figure it out by the time the next shooting star appears," Shoichi said. "We need the cosmic energy from it to bring you back. If you can't do it by then, you will be stuck in the past until another shooting star appears which will be in a hundred years."

"When will the next shooting star appear?" Tsuna asked.

"Well, according to our calculations, it's supposed to appear within seven days. Meaning you need to find the reason and fix it within seven days," Shoichi explained, adjusting his glasses.

"Oh," Tsuna said quietly before shrieking when the information finally sunk in. "HHHIIIIII, we need to do it within seven days!"

In the meeting room, Giotto froze for a moment before turning to Knuckle. "Knuckle, after we finish this meeting, can you give me a checkup?"

Knuckle raised his eyebrows and asked in worried tone, "Why? Are you sick?"

Giotto shook his head. "No, it's just that I keep having these hallucinations. I keep hearing Tsuna shriek like a girl for the last two days. Just now, I thought I heard him shriek again."

Everyone was silent before Asari spoke, "Ha, ha, ha, so you heard it too. I thought I was the only one who heard it."

"Stupid flute freak, I don't think it's Tsuna shrieking. Maybe it's just the wind," G scowled.

"But, its' pitch was too high for it to be just the wind," Lampo added as Alaude, Knuckle and Daemon nodded in agreement.

"Wait, wait," Giotto held up his hands, "So you heard it too? Do you guys really think its Tsuna shrieking?"

There was a great silence before everyone chorused, "Naahhhhh!"

"It's impossible. I won't believe it unless I see it myself," G said.

"Ha, ha, ha, I guess our imagination has gone wild today," Asari spoke.

"Kufufufu, although I have to admit it _would_ be intriguing to see Decimo shrieking like a girl. I don't believe he can do it."

Alaude just stayed silent but you can see a look of disbelief on his face.

"Dear Lord, we must have overworked ourselves," Knuckle joined the discussion.

"Then, why don't we just rest for today?" Lampo suggested.

"I guess I'll have to agree with Lampo and Knuckle on this. Let's go get some rest." Giotto got up from his chair and ended the meeting.

p.s.: I'm sort of not having any idea what activities they should do together. And I'm not the one who holds party a lot. So, it'll be nice if you guys can give me idea or suggestion on activities they should do in preparing the party. Btw, I'm going to take off for a couple of days. So, there'll be no update for a while.


	11. Chapter 11: For Better Or Worse

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn

A/N: I'm back now. (^.^) To Lyndine, Chocolate and caramel, sunstar13, cael05, Darkened Fire Dragon, Nekokratic, and Aki Sou, thanks for the suggestion. It gives me a lot of idea. I also want to thank Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing this chapter and make it better. Oh, I'm glad everyone enjoys the diplomatic battle between Tsuna and Giotto. Anyway, read and review. Review always makes me happy.

Chapter 11: For Better Or Worse

In the Mafia world, you need to know how to socialize with people. Get to know them. Become friends with them. Because you never know when you'll need an ally to help fight off your enemies. Find as many opportunities as you can to socialize with as many people as you can, even if you hate them. After all, if they're going to be your friend, you can know their trustworthiness. But if they're going to be your enemy, you can make preparations in advance.

Holding a party is one of many ways for you to socialize and interact with people in a less violent setting. If you're smart enough, you can use it as a platform to initiate alliance treaties with other families. Therefore, a good Mafia boss must know how to both hold a great party and be a great host. However, it is not easy to hold a party, especially when it involves other Mafia families. A lot of egos can be bruised if you're not careful. And, needless to say, it can spark a war between them and your Famiglia.

To make things worse, the Mafia world often saw parties as a way to measure a family's power and status. You can't hold a grand party if you didn't have a lot of money; this indirectly tells everyone how powerful your Famiglia is, making rivals think twice before messing around with you. With this in mind, it's become a common thing for Mafia families to hold parties at least once a year for the sole purpose of showing off.

The Vongola was no exception.

Now, when holding a party, there are a number of important things that must be considered while making preparations. One of them was table arrangement – the source of many headaches to many party hosts. Despite its appearance and straightforward description, table arranging was far from simple and an extremely delicate matter for a Mafia party. Table arrangements reflect status and relations, so there are rules that need to be considered while making said arrangements:

First and foremost, a host needs to consider the level of importance of each guest. The closest table from the host should be formed by those who are closest to the host, like best friends and blood relatives. Next would be the guests who are of upmost importance, such as special high-status invitees, and et cetera.

You can say it's an honor to be able to sit close to the host table since it shows your value in relation to the host. Unfortunately, everyone wants to be considered important, and this is a problem as not everybody can sit up in front. Therefore, the host must carefully arrange the limited number of seats in a manner that does not offend or blow off other people's pride. Worst case scenario, an ally may choose to become your enemy overnight all due to a small seating problem, and honestly it's just not worth the trouble.

Next, the character of the guests must be taken in account. For example, guests who love to eat should be seated at tables with the greatest amount of access to waiters and waitresses. This way the coming and going of the waiter/waitress will not bother the other guests. Likewise, it is ill-advised to place a guest with known bladder problems at the center table. Instead, he (or she) should be placed in an area where the restroom is easy to get to; however, such actions must be done discreetly or you risk insulting the guest.

The third and the most important rule that a host should consider in table arranging entails the history between Famiglias. I mean not everyone will be happy to see their rivals at the same party, nor will they all have perfect control over their anger and be able to resist strangling the other on the spot. Therefore, it is highly suggested for you to do some research beforehand and separate the problematic families by at least another table, preferably one occupied by a family that neither would dare cross.

G knew the importance and delicacy of the table arrangement issue. And as Primo's right hand man, it was his job to do it. Besides, he thought that this would be a good opportunity to teach his successor the art of handling sensitive matters and being patient – things Gokudera seemed to lack. Furthermore, two people helping each other should speed up the task. Unfortunately, he forgot to take two important factors into account when he offered to take on the job:

Gokudera's stubbornness and his own temper.

Anybody and everybody who was remotely close to G knew that he had a short temper when he was young. It occasionally got him and his friends into a heap of trouble, making them nearly losing their lives in the process. However, as time passed by, he eventually learnt to control his temper. He learnt not to let his anger get the better of him. Sure, people still see him yelling, shouting, and cussing from time to time, but they never see him truly explode.

Unfortunately for G, Gokudera seemed to have a talent at doing just that. They've already spent several hours trying to come up with the best table arrangement and, for some reason, they cannot agree on _anything_. Their opinions always seemed to clash with each other, and their stubbornness (times two) definitely did not help with the situation.

"How many times do I have to say it? The arrangement's better _this_ way!" G yelled impatiently.

"Are you nuts? Letting Tomaso and Estraneo sit together? It's a disaster waiting to happen!" Gokudera shouted equally loud.

"No, there won't be any disaster!"

"Yes, there will!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"AARRGGGHHH! Why the hell I let Giotto make that stupid wish?" G yelled in frustration, throwing his hands up.

That stopped Gokudera on track. He'd been thinking of ways to pressure G into telling him the reason for making the wish that sent them there. He thought he would find a chance if he helped the Primo Storm Guardian with preparations. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. But the chance had finally appeared. He cannot mess this up now.

"Then, why did you let him?" Gokudera asked calmly, which felt odd to G.

G always had the impression that Gokudera was a hot-headed boy, one who was incapable of being calm when needed to be from the looks of their first meeting. To see the boy ask him something in a calm manner was a bit shocking to say the least. G was brought back to reality when Gokudera asked, "Well, are you going to answer it or not?"

G looked away and mumbled, "It's none of your damn business."

"How the hell is it not our business? We're stuck in the past because of your stupid wish," Gokudera bellowed.

"Because it's stupid to talk about to begin with! You don't want to hear the reason. Trust me," G yelled back in frustration.

"Yeah, right," Gokudera scoffed. "I won't believe it until you try it on me."

For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence. They were both glaring at each other, stubbornness unyielding. But finally, G gave in. It was, in a way, their fault that the Decimo family was stuck in the past. They're the one who made the wish after all.

G sighed and looked away, "You know, the Vongola was originally a vigilante group before it became a mafia family."

"Of course I know that," Gokudera frowned before adding, "Primo's best friend, Shimon Cozart, was the one who suggested it. So, what's the problem?"

"The problem is Giotto never wanted to create a vigilante group, much less lead a Mafia family," G said hesitantly. "He never liked fighting or violence. And, if possible, he wanted to solve everything through peaceful means. He tells us that many times. But…"His voice trailed off, "…I kept pushing for it, persuading him into creating the Vongola."

Gokudera raised his eyebrows at G's words. He wanted to ask more but he knew better. If he did that, he would get nothing from G. G felt very awkward when he saw Gokudera's reaction. It was like he was making a confession to Gokudera. But, for some reason, G felt his secret was safe with the boy.

"I kept pushing even though he wanted to back out badly, especially when the Vongola began to turn into a Mafia Famiglia." G let out a heavy sigh. "When Giotto told us how he worried the future Vongola would forget its original purpose and wanted to meet you guys, I couldn't help but wish for the same thing." G paused for a moment and looked straight at Gokudera. "I guess a part of me wanted to get rid of Giotto's worries. And if wishing a stupid wish will help it, I'll do it without hesitation."

Gokudera was silent as he tried to absorb the information. G took the silence as a signal to continue.

"Another part of me wanted to know if I had made the right decision." G looked away when Gokudera gave him incredulous look. "Because of me, Giotto's thrown into a lot of dangerous situations. I always told myself that I had made the right decision… that forcing him to make the Vongola was the right thing to do. But, now…" G's voice trailed off, "I just don't know."

Before Gokudera could say anything, they heard a desperate cry in the hallway, "SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

It was Giotto. G and Gokudera quickly ran towards the direction of Giotto's shouting. When they reached there, they saw a dreadful scene. Giotto, drenched in blood, was carrying a heavily wounded Tsuna on his back.


	12. Chapter 12: A Childish Insecurity

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I'm glad some of you like the interaction between G and Gokudera. To Miyanoai, I didn't really give a thought much when I choose Tomaso and Estraneo as a debating topic for Gokudera and G. My beta reader, Rekishichizu, suggested a few of family that I can use in my story. So, I just choose them randomly. I didn't really consider that you point out. Anyway, all thanks and credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing and making my story better. Review will always make me happy.

Chapter 12: A Childish Insecurity

Lambo was very happy. Tsuna had just given him a mission; and not only one, but _two_ missions at the same time! First, he needed to help Lampo in decorating the hall room. Second, he needed to get close to Lampo and figure out the reason why Lampo had made the wish. Lambo felt very excited when Tsuna told him his missions. Tsuna was always reluctant to give him missions, unlike with the other guardians. He always said Lambo was too young to do any of the missions whenever Lambo asked him for one. So to be given a mission, even if it was something simple, meant a great deal to Lambo.

Lambo promised to himself that he would make Tsuna proud. He _will_ accomplish the missions. He won't become the wimpy loser who is easy to bully or taken as hostage. His mood became sour when he remembered the hostage situation, especially when Tsuna came to save him from the thug. He should have been able to defend himself. How on earth was Tsuna going to rely on him if he got beaten up so easily? Lambo shook his head. This was not the time to think negative. He needed to focus on his missions. But, first, he needed to retrieve his "partner."

Honestly, Lambo didn't know what possessed Tsuna to pair him up with Primo's Lightning Guardian. He was _lazy_. For crying out loud, it's already ten in the morning and he's still sleeping in his bedroom! With this mind, Lambo marched and barged into Lampo's bedroom, purposely forgetting to knock on the door. However, Lampo seemed to be unaffected by Lambo's sudden appearance. If anything, his snoring sounded louder than before.

Lambo raked his mind trying to find a way to wake Lampo up. He then remembered how Nana used to wake Tsuna up. Maybe he should try Nana's tactic. Lambo went to open the curtains and windows. Hopefully, the sunlight will at least stir Lampo from his sleep. But nothing happened. He then went near Lampo and shook him roughly. Unfortunately, that didn't work either. The only response he got from Lampo was a snore and a mumble of five more minutes. Lambo decided to use a more drastic way to wake Lampo up.

He jumped on the bed and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Wake up! Wake up! We need to help with the party decorations!"

Despite Lambo's loud shouting, Lampo still slept on peacefully. Lambo was starting to get really frustrated. Who knew Lampo could be such a heavy sleeper? Hell, he was almost as bad as Tsu—

Wait… As bad as Tsuna?

Lambo suddenly had a great idea. If Lampo was a heavy sleeper like Tsuna, then maybe, just maybe, Reborn's method would work on him, too. After all, Reborn never failed to wake Tsuna up with his method. Lambo grinned maniacally. Living with Reborn had its perks. Sure, Reborn always bullied and made him his errand boy, but he also showed him many interesting things. One of them was how to effectively wake someone up. The hitman had even gone through the trouble and demonstrated it using Tsuna as the practice dummy.

Lambo's grin became wider. What better way to master it than by practicing it on other people? Especially when there was a perfect practice dummy right in front of him. Lambo started rummaging his hair, searching for something. He couldn't wait to see Lampo's face when he used it on him. Lambo smiled with a triumph once he found what he was looking for and inched closer to Lampo…

"AAHHHHH!" Lampo yelped and jumped up in agony.

He turned to glare at the culprit, his hair standing on ends – a perfectly natural aftereffect since Lambo had just used a stun gun at maximum power on the previously sleeping Lampo. Suffice to say that it was enough to bring down two large elephants. Any normal person would have died from it. Luckily, Lampo was not a normal person, but that didn't mean he was happy with what Lambo did. For crying out loud, his hairstyle had been ruined! And why on earth he was paired with a kid? Kids are annoying and troublesome.

"What did you do that for?" Lampo shouted angrily.

"Nothing," Lambo answered innocently, hiding the stun gun in his hair. "Just wanted to wake you up. Tsuna and Primo want us to decorate the dining hall for the party."

"Well, I don't want to. I still need my beauty sleep," Lampo replied grumpily, shooing the child away.

"Pleaasee?" Lambo begged, switching to his puppy face tactic.

Lampo tried to look away from the puppy face. The key word was _tried_. Another reason why he generally disliked kids: they seemed to always have a way to make you feel guilty even if you didn't do anything. Lampo thought for a moment and came up with a plan. If he could distract Lambo, he won't bother him again.

"I'll go help if you can find something for me. Even better, I'll let you ask me anything you want. But if you can't bring it to me, then you can't make me do the job," Lampo said confidently.

"Okay, it's a deal," Lambo grinned after giving it a thought, thinking the challenge would be easy to do.

"Then, I want you to find a gun and bring it to me," Lampo said in triumph.

He was pretty sure no one's going to give Lambo a gun. Hell, it would be a pure luck if Lambo could even find one. In his mind, Lampo did a victory dance. It was very easy to trick a kid. Unfortunately, his happiness was cut short when Lambo produced a gun from his hair. Lampo just stared at the gun incredulously. His mind couldn't register how Lambo managed to hide the gun in his hair.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go. The dining hall won't decorate itself," Lambo chirped.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lampo help his hands up and added hastily. "I don't want a gun. I want something else." He thought for a moment and said loudly, "I want a grenade. That's right, a grenade."

Lambo happily pulled out a grenade from his hair.

Lampo still didn't want to give up, "I want a rifle."

Out came a rifle from Lambo's hair.

Lampo soon started to ask for other things. It was no longer limited to weapons anymore. He asked Lambo to bring out candy, a mop, a bucket, a necklace and a number of other things. Each time Lambo never failed to bring out the things requested by Lampo from his hair. Lampo sweat dropped at this. How the hell can a kid keep those things in his hair? Was his hair some kind of dimensional pocket?

"Can we go now?" Lambo whined.

"Why do you want to do it so badly? It's just decorating," Lampo said irritably.

"Because Tsuna told us to," Lambo answered.

Lampo was silent when he heard the answer. He then asked, "Lambo, why did you follow Tsuna?"

This question had always been on his mind ever since they met. Lampo couldn't understand why Lambo was Tsuna's Guardian. That boy was strict, uptight and downright scary. It wouldn't be a surprise for Lampo if Tsuna had actually forced Lambo into becoming his Guardian.

"Because Tsuna is the best big brother in the world," Lambo answered without missing a beat. That answer really threw Lampo off. He didn't expect such an answer to come from Lambo. Lampo was shaken out of his thoughts when the kid exclaimed, "Since you lost the bet, I want to ask you a question too."

Lampo raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"

"Why did you wish to meet us?" Lambo asked straight forwardly.

Lampo scratched his head and looked away. The cow kid had really surprised him again. Out of the many questions he had expected Lambo to ask, he definitely didn't expect that. He didn't really want to answer it… but a promise was a promise.

Lampo took a deep breath and said, "I just wanted to see if the future Vongola's family remained the same as our family."

"Why is that?" Lambo asked curiously.

Lampo didn't really know how to explain it but he continued anyway, "Before I joined the Vongola, I was a landlord's son. My father was always busy and never really paid any attention to me. He sort of made up for it by pampering me and giving me anything I wanted, but I didn't really feel happy. I was lonely. No one wanted to be my friend because they feared my status. That is, until I met Giotto and others."

A smile formed on Lampo's face. "They became my family and friends. Even though I'm not as good as G with guns, even though I didn't know how to use swords or illusions like Asari and Daemon, and even though I couldn't fight as well as Alaude or Knuckle, they still accepted me. You could say I found a place that I could call home."

Then, his smile vanished and was replaced with a sad frown. "When Giotto told us he was worried about the future of the Vongola, I couldn't help but worry about the same thing. The Vongola has been my real family for a long time. Everyone in the Vongola is nice and kind. I can't help but ask myself, 'Will it remain the same in the future? Will it still remain as my home?' Because it would be a shame if the Vongola was reduced to some power crazy Mafia family…"

There was a great silence before Lambo broke it. He said with full conviction, "It won't happen."

"How you are so sure?" Lampo raised his eyebrows.

"Because Tsuna won't let it happen," Lampo stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Before Lampo could ask what he meant, they heard a desperate cry in the hallway, "SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

It was Giotto. Lampo and Lambo quickly ran towards the direction of Giotto's shouting. As they neared their destination, they heard G making a commotion about something. They didn't like his tone. Both Lampo and Lambo were shocked when they saw Giotto drenched in blood, but were even more shocked when they saw the heavily wounded Tsuna…


	13. Chapter 13: The Aloof Cloud

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn

A/N: Wow! Is it really obvious that I'm going to make a chapter for every guardian before going to Tsuna and Giotto? *(sweat drop)* I thought I want to surprise everyone (sigh). Like everyone guess, I'm going to make chapter for every guardian before proceed to Giotto and Tsuna. I receive suggestion from xxAliceDeLunaxx to compress every chapter into one chapter. Unfortunately, doing that will make the chapter too long. Plus I have a policy to write within 2000 words for each chapter. Like usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing and improving my story especially the fighting scene. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 13: The Aloof Cloud

Security is one important aspect that should be given serious attention to when holding any party. Sure, they gave opportunities to meet many people, but parties also gave enemies many openings for assassination or kidnapping attempts. People tended to let their guard down in order to enjoy the party. As such, Alaude deemed it was his responsibility to prevent such things from happening and had asked (demanded) from Giotto to let him handle the security.

Alaude knew all too well of the motivations behind these outrageous actions. Besides, what better way to humiliate the party host than by trashing his party? Some even had the nerve to attempt smuggling in weapons through a number of ridiculous yet creative methods. But, it shouldn't be a surprise. They're Mafia after all.

Alaude had already made plans to order a few of his subordinates from CEDEF to gather information regarding the families that will be attending the party. It wouldn't do for a host not to know their guests quite well, even if it meant stalking and spying on them for hours on end. But, gaining knowledge about their guests was not enough for Alaude. The Cloud Guardian felt that they needed to check and reinforce their own security measures as well, which was exactly what Alaude did by patrolling the mansion. Unfortunately, he had to be paired with that annoying boy.

Hibari Kyouya.

Alaude didn't know what possessed him to accept Giotto's suggestion. He liked to work alone and hated crowding. In fact, it was one of the main reasons why he had created the CEDEF to begin with. Unfortunately, Giotto didn't seem to understand that little aspect when he had persuaded Alaude into letting Hibari come along.

_Then again…_

While he didn't want to admit it, Alaude _did_ have a tiny amount of respect for the boy. After all, it's not every day he encountered someone – much less a mere child – who can stand up to the first Cloud Guardian while sober. Even Giotto, his "boss," had to think twice before doing something similar.

Hibari was thinking along the same line. Alaude had managed to win a _tiny_ bit of his respect from their glaring contest; but, of course, he would never admit that openly. At the same time, he didn't want to be paired with anyone. He liked to do things alone. If it was not for Tsuna's promise of a great fight after all of this was over, he wouldn't have accepted the mission. Hibari eyed Alaude carefully, knowing full well that the older man was subtly observing him.

As much as Alaude disliked the notion, Decimo's Cloud Guardian reminded him of his younger self when he was a teen: aloof and crazy for battle. It made him wonder if Hibari had the same dilemma as him. He subtly glanced at Hibari again. To say Hibari was annoyed with Alaude's act was an understatement. But, he tried to ignore it and continued with their patrol. They kept to themselves and didn't utter a single word.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Hibari's eyebrows were twitching. He can feel that the older man wanting to ask him something, but for some reason, Alaude was hesitating to ask him. He didn't know if it was because Alaude didn't have guts or if the issue was too personal. He silently hoped it was not the former. The continuous glancing from Alaude quickly wore away his patience. Finally, having had enough of it, Hibari decided to confront Primo's Cloud Guardian. He stopped on his tracks. Alaude mirrored his actions.

"Why were you glancing at me?" Hibari asked, his tone clearly indicating his annoyance.

"I was not," Alaude answered stoically.

"You're not a pedophile like that melon head, are you?" Hibari asked suspiciously.

"Don't put me on the same level as that melon head," Alaude hissed, feeling angry to be accused like that.

"Then why were you glancing at me?" Hibari asked again.

"I said I was not," Alaude gave the same answer.

"…I don't believe it." Hibari brought out his tonfa, preparing to bite Alaude to death for his rude behavior.

"Suit yourself," Alaude said, bringing out his handcuffs, too.

"You think you can beat me?" Hibari asked in amusement.

"Want to make a wager?" Alaude replied indifferently.

"First one to land a blow wins. If I win, you answer my question truthfully. If not, I leave it to rest," Hibari said.

"Deal," Alaude muttered.

They got ready into their fighting stances. Hibari charged forward, swiping his tonfa with dead accuracy at Alaude's head. Alaude ducked, swiping Hibari's legs to knock him down. But Hibari saw it coming and jumped from it. Neither wasted any time in their attacks as they began to trade punches and kicks at near inhuman speed. The intense stalemate between Cloud Guardians lasted for a moment, but it quickly came to a close as Alaude moved to dodge an oncoming kick… Or what was supposed to be a kick. Primo's Cloud Guardian realized his mistake a moment too late, and Hibari took the chance to swing his tonfa at Alaude's torso, making the man stumble backward.

Silence reigned between them.

It was clear that Hibari was the winner. He had managed to land the first blow. As much as Alaude wanted to avoid it, he was a man of his word. The Cloud Guardian's pride refused to let him do otherwise, so he begrudgingly accepted the defeat at the hands of a child.

"Fine, what you want to know?" Alaude asked, putting away his handcuffs.

"The same question that I asked you before," Hibari said monotonously.

Alaude fell silent, studying the boy a bit before asking, "How is CEDEF in the future?"

Hibari raised his eyebrows, "I never thought you'd be one to care so much for the Vongola."

"I _don't_ care about the Vongola," Alaude answered flatly.

"CEDEF _is_ a part of Vongola, right?" Hibari inquired.

Alaude frowned. "The CEDEF was created to help me collect intelligence and only acts as an external advisor since we seem to cross paths with the Vongola so often. As the one who created the organization, it is my duty to look after it. Not because I care or am concerned about it."

"Is that the reason why you wished to meet us?" Hibari questioned and then frowned. "Just because of the CEDEF?"

Alaude sighed, "Like I said before, CEDEF has never been truly a part of the Vongola. It never answers directly to Giotto's orders. Everyone thinks the CEDEF is merely a detached unit of Vongola. Some even suggested disbanding the CEDEF since the organization doesn't really contribute to the Vongola." Alaude snorted at this. "The only reason why they haven't tried to push their suggestion on Giotto is because they're too scared of me."

"But, I am not immortal. One day or another, I will die or become too old to lead CEDEF. Thinking that way, I can't help but wish to meet the future generation of Vongola, especially their boss." He looked straight at Hibari. "I want to know if the future Vongola still treats the CEDEF as their ally. I want to know if everything is okay in the hands of their boss."

Hibari was silent as he let Alaude's words sink in. He could tell the man in front of him shared the same feelings he had towards his Discipline Committee. But, it was still weird to hear the man's confession. Hibari thought for a moment whether or not he should answer it. A simple answer may change their future, and Hibari was fully aware of this.

Hibari glanced away, "What happens in future is none of your business." Alaude wanted to strangle Hibari for his rude answer but he stopped when Hibari looked straight in his eyes, "But, I can tell you that Sawada Tsunayoshi is not a boss who will abandon his friends no matter how aloof they are."

That made Alaude stunned. Was the boy in front of him trying to tell him that everything was fine in his own way? Alaude smirked. He was beginning to like his successor a little. But, he frowned at the thought of Tsuna. In Alaude's opinion, Tsuna was strict and too uptight for his own good. Will the CEDEF really be okay with Tsuna as Vongola Decimo?

His thoughts were cut off when he heard a desperate cry in the hallway, "SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

It was Giotto.

For some reason, they had a bad feeling about this. Alaude and Hibari quickly ran in the direction of Giotto's shouting. Lampo, Lambo, G and Gokudera had already arrived before them. But, their usual stoicism gave way to shock when they saw Giotto drenched in blood and a heavily wounded Tsuna…


	14. Chapter 14: Girl Can Be Scary

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn

A/N: I know repeating the same cliffhanger can be boring. But, personally, I think it better this way since it won't interrupt my story flow. Plus, I can't think a better way and time for the 1st and 10th gen to interact with each other. So, please be patience. Answering sunstar13's question, yes, Hibird did come with them. I mentioned it Chapter 6, I think. To Kotobuki Kai, I guess Alaude didn't really like serious Tsuna since he is way more serious than Alaude himself. Because, seriously, everyone can't be serious 24 hours like boss Tsuna. They need to relax too. As usual, I give my thank and credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing and improving my story. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 14: Girl Can Be Scary

Chrome was a very shy person. She was so shy that it felt awkward just to start conversations with other people, especially if she had just met them. Growing up, she always thought nobody wanted her. Her parents hated her, after all. So, when Tsuna asked Chrome to join his family and officially become his Mist Guardian along with Mukuro, she was very happy. She accepted it without a second thought. Unfortunately, becoming a Guardian didn't really help her to gain self-confidence. But right now, Chrome wished she had the courage and confidence to stop them.

"Quit following me around!" Daemon yelled in frustration.

"Kufufufu, we are not following you around," Mukuro said. "We just happened to be going in the same direction as you. Besides, Primo told us to help you with preparations."

"I don't need your help," Daemon shouted, a scythe appearing in his hand.

"Oya, oya, but Primo seemed to think so especially after…" Mukuro trailed off for an effect, "…the stunt you pulled in town which I'm sure you still remember."

Without delay, Daemon charged and slashed his scythe at Mukuro. Of course, Mukuro didn't just stand there idly. He quickly brought out his trident and slammed it on the ground. Lotus vines and flowers appeared out of nowhere to capture and strangle Daemon's body. Daemon quickly used his power to call upon illusionary rats of different sizes and colors. They gnawed away the lotus vines, freeing Daemon from the illusion and, at the same time, assault Decimo's Mist Guardian. Mukuro countered by tapping his trident on the floor again and creating illusionary cats from thin air.

While the cats were busy with their prey, Mukuro summoned several pillars of fire from the ground, walls, and ceiling, burning up a few animals in the process. With some effort, Daemon managed to jump away and avoid the oncoming attack.

"Nufufufu…" Although they were illusions, Daemon could feel immense heat emitting from the pillars. There was no question that these were truly high class illusions. Daemon extended his hand to freeze the fire pillars around him before smashing them with his scythe. Seeing as their illusions were on par with each other, Mukuro decided to switch tactics and engage in close combat with Primo's Mist Guardian.

Chrome quietly sighed from the sidelines. For sure, this was going to be a long day for her. Primo had assigned them to prepare entertainment for the guests at the party. It was a natural choice since Daemon had come from an aristocratic family and knew how to best entertain them. She wondered if it was a wise choice for the two Mist Guardians to be paired up together since it was obvious that they hated each other. At this rate, they're not going to get anything from Daemon if Mukuro kept provoking him… even if it was fun for her to watch.

Chrome took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. There was… one thing she could do in a situation like this. A plan started to form in her head. If it succeeds, she can stop their fight. If not, the fight may worsen… and potentially bring down Primo's wrath for destroying part of the mansion. It was risky, but Chrome knew it had to be done – Tsuna was depending on them.

Pushing down the shyness within, Chrome walked as calmly as she could towards Mukuro and Daemon who were too engrossed with their fight to notice. She stopped right in front of them… and did the unthinkable.

She pulled on both their ears. _Hard_.

"Y-you stupid girl, let go of my ear!" Daemon growled.

"Kufufufu, my dear Chrome, that's not very nice," Mukuro said, trying to hide his irritation.

Chrome just pulled on their ears harder and glared, "Do you want to stop fighting?"

Mukuro and Daemon nodded slowly, noticing the dark aura around Chrome. Both men knew better than to make a girl angry. Mukuro knew this because he's been at the end of Chrome's wrath. Daemon knew it because of Elena. After they had visibly calmed down, Chrome released their ears. Daemon and Mukuro distanced themselves from her (the former more so than the latter) while rubbing their ears subconsciously. However, that didn't mean they had stopped glaring at each other.

Chrome sighed again and whispered only to Mukuro's slightly red ear. "Mukuro-sama, please stop fighting. We still need to figure out how to ask Daemon about his wish."

"Kufufufu… Don't worry, my dear Chrome. I know how to do it," Mukuro chuckled. He took a step around her and marched towards Daemon, stopping just outside the man's weapon range.

"We want to know why you wished to meet us," he stated.

Chrome sweat dropped at this. "Um, M-Mukuro-sama…" '_Th-that was too… blunt_,' she thought nervously, her face turning a light shade of pink.

Mukuro ignored Chrome and continued to eye Daemon. "Well?"

Daemon frowned. "Why the sudden interest?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because we can't go home without solving whatever reason you had for meeting us," Mukuro grumbled in irritation.

"Nufufufu… And why should I help you if it makes you miserable?" Daemon smirked as Mukuro gritted his teeth.

Chrome, on the other hand, walked up to Daemon. Daemon's smirk grew wider, thinking the shy girl was going to break down and beg for his help. Instead, and without warning, Chrome yanked on Daemon's ear for a second time, almost tearing it off his head from Daemon's standpoint. She didn't stop until they were eye-level.

The dark aura from before paled in comparison to the one Chrome had on now. With a sickly sweet smile, she asked, "Daemon-san, would you please cooperate with us? I promise I won't hurt you again. So, could you please tell us why you wished to meet us?"

Daemon gulped. From outright shy to just plain scary – who knew this timid girl could be so intimidating? Then again, for someone to spend a lot of time together with Mukuro, it probably affected people in odd ways.

"I… wanted to know if Vongola becomes the most powerful Famiglia in the future," Daemon said hesitantly.

Mukuro rolled his eyes. "Of course Vongola becomes a powerful family. How else is it going to survive until the tenth generation?" he muttered.

Daemon glared at Mukuro. "That's not what I meant. I wanted to know if Vongola becomes powerful enough to conquer the world." _'Without the help of a certain red-haired ally…'_ he mentally added.

"Why?" Chrome asked.

"So then Elena can realize how to stupid it was for her to go after another guy," Daemon blurted, realizing the slip a tad too late. And mentally face palmed himself for it.

"Daemon-san…" Chrome hesitated but she just had to ask the question. "Did Elena-san dump you for another guy?"

"No! Elena didn't dump me to go after Shimon Cozart," Daemon yelled. "W-we just had a fight. That's all. We didn't break up. She'll come back to me after I prove Vongola is superior to Shimon."

If Daemon was trying to hide his desperation, he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"Kufufufu," Mukuro smirked, "it seems like someone's in denial."

"I am _not_ in denial," Daemon shouted.

"So, you just wanted to know if the Vongola family becomes a powerful Famiglia in the future. Is that correct?" Chrome cut in to prevent yet another fight.

"That's right," Daemon crossed his arms, expecting an answer from Chrome.

Unused to the attention, Chrome began fidgeting with her fingers. "Erm… I don't think you should worry about it Daemon-san. Boss is really a strong person," she hesitantly answered.

"Is that so?" Daemon asked skeptically.

"Kufufufu… Sawada Tsunayoshi may look weak, but that doesn't mean he _is_ weak. As much as I hate to admit it, he's stronger than most people think," Mukuro said begrudgingly.

"That's right. Boss is the best boss in the world." Chrome said eagerly.

"Nufufufu… The best boss in the world? Yeah, right. He's too small and young. It's a miracle Vongola still exists with him as the boss," Daemon scoffed.

"Kufufufu, I think you should listen to what Chrome said," Mukuro commented warily.

Before Daemon could comprehend what Mukuro said, he suddenly found himself bound to a chair. He couldn't believe his eyes. How on earth can that timid girl create such a high class illusion? Daemon tried to break the illusion but nothing seemed to work. He tried as best as he could to hide his fear as Chrome walked slowly toward him.

"Daemon-san, please take back what you just said," Chrome requested sweetly.

"Wh-why should I do that?" Daemon shuttered, trying to put on a brave act, but inwardly, he cursed himself for shuttering.

"Because if you don't, something bad is going to happen to you." Chrome gave him a creepy smile that eerily resembled a certain marshmallow freak.

Daemon gulped again. As Chrome was about to tap her trident on the floor, they heard a desperate cry from Giotto.

"SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

A very bad feeling swept through them. Mukuro looked at Chrome expectantly and she nodded, knowing what he wanted her to do. They both disappeared into the created mist, leaving behind a Daemon who was still tied to a chair.

"HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND LIKE THIS!"

If Mukuro and Chrome heard Daemon's shouting, they really didn't care about it. They had more important problems to deal with. For example, finding out why the hell Primo was drenched in blood and why the hell their boss was heavily wounded...


	15. Chapter 15: Yamamoto's Serious Moment

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: First of all, I would like to give my thank and credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing and improving my story with his idea, especially with battle scene. If not, I assure the chapter will turn out lame. Answering A Natsume Yuujinchou Lover's question, yes, I try to make all the scenes happen and end at the same time. Regarding hiyomi's question, yes, I change the part of story in manga about Daemon and Elena. Seriously, I think the reason Daemon tried to kill Cozart because he considered him weak was too lame for me. I mean Shimon had great flame on par with Vongola. So, I thought what if Daemon had more solid reason to kill Cozart. For example, Cozart took away Elena from Daemon (grin evilly). Anyway, review always make me happy.

Chapter 15: Yamamoto's Serious Moment

As soon as Asari heard they will be paired up with their successor(s), he requested Giotto to let him and Yamamoto be spared from helping with preparations for a day. He wanted to have a heart to heart conversation with Yamamoto and thought that this would be the perfect time to do it. Giotto had raised his eyebrows at Asari's request. It was rare for him to see his Rain Guardian be this serious outside of battle.

'_Whatever it is, it must be very important to him_,' he deduced as Giotto consented Asari's request.

And that's how Yamamoto found himself in a Japanese-style dojo with the older Rain Guardian instead of helping with party preparations.

"Err… Why are we in the dojo, Asari-san? Shouldn't we be helping the others?" Yamamoto asked, scratching his head.

It felt weird for Yamamoto to sit in the dojo alone with Asari like this. Not to mention, Asari had asked him to bring his weapon. Yamamoto quickly glanced at Shigure Kintoki which rested at his side. Asari seemed to have brought along his swords, too. It made Yamamoto wonder what they were going to do that would require them to use their swords. Hopefully, it was not something dangerous.

"Yes, we should be helping them. But, we will be taking a break from it just for today," Asari answered calmly.

"Why?" Yamamoto asked again.

"Because I wanted to talk with you about something. Depending on your answer, it can be a short conversation or a long one," Asari smiled gently.

For some reason, Asari's smile made Yamamoto feel uncomfortable. It was as if Asari was forcing himself to smile at him. It reminded Yamamoto of his younger self before meeting Tsuna and others. A boy who loved to hide everything behind his smile. But, he shrugged the feeling off.

"Sure, go ahead. What did you want to talk about?" Yamamoto asked cheerfully.

"…Yamamoto-kun, what do you think of the Mafia?" Asari asked, eying the boy carefully.

"Ha, ha, ha, I think it's a great game," Yamamoto answered cheerfully. "But, I have to admit people sometimes take it too seriously."

Asari went silent. "I… see."

He had expected as much from their brief conversation in town. Asari's eyes closed in contemplation.

Smile long gone, he stood up with grim determination.

"Fight me. Now."

Yamamoto couldn't believe his ears. Did Asari just challenge him to a fight? He blinked. "Err…. Could you repeat that again? I don't think I quite understand what you mean."

"I believe I've spoken clearly, Yamamoto-kun." Asari slowly unsheathed his swords as he got into his stance. "Fight me. Now."

'_W-wait, this is…'_ Yamamoto quickly brought his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Asari-san, why should we fight each other?"

Said Rain Guardian ignored Yamamoto's question and charged at him. He brought down his sword, intending to aim at the younger Rain Guardian's head. Yamamoto could see that Asari was really being serious and meant what he had said. Yamamoto quickly rolled out of the way, grabbing his Shigure Kintoki.

Still, he tried to reason with the man as he dodged his attacks. "Asari-san, can you at least tell me _why_ you are attacking me?"

"I am teaching you that the Mafia is not a game," Asari stated in an oddly tranquil tone.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yamamoto blocked Asari's blade with his own, ducking just in the nick of time to evade the small sword that was aimed for his chest.

They were at a stalemate. Asari tried as hard as he could to push Yamamoto, but was surprised to see the boy able to stand his ground. For someone who was much too carefree, Yamamoto had good stamina and was great at dodging his attacks. But, that was not enough for Primo's Rain Guardian. Great stamina and agility were not enough to endure in the Mafia world. You also needed self-awareness to survive.

"Yamamoto-kun, it's nice to see you're having fun with your friends. But sorry to say, the Mafia world is _not_ a game. You need to learn this before you get yourself killed." Asari gave a great push, forcing Yamamoto back a few feet.

To the observer, Asari's aura virtually pulsated in waves. It spoke of strength capable of washing everything away. If he had to make a comparison, the great sea easily came to Yamamoto's mind. His grip automatically tightened around Shigure Kintoki as Yamamoto wondered how he was going to stop a man of Asari's caliber without injuring him. He was brought out from his thoughts when Asari spoke.

"You know, you remind me of my younger self when I was still obsessed with playing the flute. Always carefree and goofing around… There was nothing I wouldn't do to do what I loved." A smile gently graced Asari's face. "When Giotto asked me to join his vigilante group, I didn't really give much thought about the offer or the dangers that came with it. He was my friend so I just accepted it, thinking it would be fun. As long as I had my flute, I thought everything would be okay."

"But, one day, we got into a dangerous situation. My carelessness almost got everyone killed." Asari chuckled bitterly. "It's funny how a life-threatening situation can drastically change someone's point of view. The next time Giotto was in trouble, I didn't hesitate to trade in my flute for my swords."

Yamamoto knew it in his heart. Reborn had told them about the Primo family's history. Somehow, he could relate himself to Asari. They both had a great passion for their hobby and they both sacrificed it for their friend's safety. He felt he could understand Asari. But, he couldn't understand why Asari told him all these things. Maybe it has something to do with his wish? Could it be that…

"Asari-san, are you regretting letting go of your flute to walk on the path of a swordsman? Is that the reason why you wished to meet us? To know if you made the right decision?" Yamamoto asked bluntly.

He quickly covered his mouth with his hand when he realized what he had said. Surprisingly, Asari didn't seem to be upset. Instead of being angry, he answered Yamamoto's question with a sense of serenity.

"No, I never regretted selling my flute." Asari looked directly at Yamamoto's eyes. "And I can assure you that I didn't wish to meet you because I doubted my decision."

"Then, why did you wish to meet us?" Yamamoto asked again.

At this, Asari smiled a little bit. "Just mere curiosity. I wanted to see the future generation of Vongola, especially their Rain Guardian." Then, his smile disappeared. "Unfortunately, you are not what I had imagined."

"Ha, ha, ha, what do you mean by that?" Yamamoto laughed. If Asari had looked closely, he would realize the strain in Yamamoto's laugh. Unfortunately, he didn't.

"I could never understand why Tsuna chose you as his Rain Guardian. In my opinion, you're just a kid when it comes to the Mafia world. It's good to have a happy-go-lucky attitude, but you're much too oblivious and carefree for your own good. I can't image what would happen to Tsuna if he has you as his Rain Guardian," Asari said with full conviction before sighing. "But, I guess it can't be helped. After all, Tsuna is far too young and inexperienced to be Vongola Decimo."

Yamamoto was silent for a moment before giving an edgy smile. "So if I can prove that I'm qualified enough to be the Rain Guardian, you'll approve me as your successor?"

"_If_ you can prove it," Asari nodded, getting back into his fighting stance.

Asari immediately regretted his words as an insane killing intent came pouring out from Yamamoto, freezing him on the spot. A wave of water appeared out of nowhere, engulfing them both. Asari didn't expect Yamamoto to conceal such a strong killing intent. Not to mention, Yamamoto's eyes had suddenly become cold and calculative. The older Rain Guardian knew instantly this was not the same cheerful Yamamoto who thought the Mafia was a game. This Yamamoto was one who had potential to become a great hitman; a person who would not hesitate to attack at full force.

Yamamoto dropped his smile and replaced it with a very serious expression. "Then, I'll gladly do it."

If Asari was surprised with the sudden change in Yamamoto's attitude, he clearly didn't show it. Inwardly, he knew he needed to be careful around this Yamamoto. Decimo's Rain Guardian seemed to have great skills with the sword. Unfortunately, in a real sword fight, one can't rely on a bamboo sword to beat a skillful opponent with blades forged from metal. If Yamamoto thought he could beat him this way, he was obviously wrong and far too naïve. But, Asari's musings proved to be wrong when Yamamoto charged at him.

"Shigure Shouen Style's 5th Offensive Form: Early Summer Rain."

The bamboo sword in Yamamoto's hand shifted into a katana. Asari's eyes widened at this. He never thought the bamboo sword could actually _change_ into a real sword. Asari brought out his blade to block Yamamoto's slash when he suddenly noticed the boy's sword was not in his hand. The Rain Guardian was confused at first but saw at the last second where the sword _really_ was. Yamamoto must have transferred the sword between hands while he was slashing at Asari.

It was only through his skill and experience that Asari managed to block the slash with his short sword. Inwardly, he had to admit the attack was ingenious: To fool your opponent by pulling off a feint, then switching the sword between hands and using their lapse of attention to strike. Not many can pull that trick off since it involved great precision and timing to transfer a sword mid-slash. Both Rain Guardians broke away and eyed each other calculatedly before Yamamoto dashed forward, intending to strike again.

For some reason, Asari felt it was becoming harder and harder to keep up with Yamamoto. The boy's movements were increasing in speed after each attack. Asari's soaked clothing didn't make things any easier as they were greatly hindering his movements. At last, Yamamoto decided to end the fight with a final blow. He focused the Rain flames on his sword and struck at Asari. Unfortunately, Asari had predicted this and moved to block it. He kicked Yamamoto, sending him flying across the room. Yamamoto landed safely on the mat without much difficulty.

"I can see you're a skillful swordsman. Unfortunately, it is not enough to defeat me," Asari stated calmly.

"Ha, ha, ha," Yamamoto laughed cheerfully before turning serious again. "Are you really sure about that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Asari fell to his knees. His eyes widened. He couldn't move his body.

'_How could this happen?_'

While the older Rain Guardian was struggling, Yamamoto walked up to him and placed his sword at Asari's neck. Asari knew instantly that he had lost the match to Yamamoto.

"I forfeit," Asari said with difficulty. The attack had affected his ability to speak. "How did you paralyze my body? I am certain I was not hit by any of your attacks."

Yamamoto naturally grinned. "Attaco di Squalo," he answered. "An attack that can paralyze your opponent. When our swords clashed with each other, I created a strong shockwave that numbed your nerves. It was passed through your blade, paralyzing your body." He changed his sword back to its bamboo form and made the water around them disappear. "Don't worry. It won't last long. You'll be able to speak and move freely in a little bit."

True to Yamamoto's words, Asari was able to move and speak properly again after 10 minutes – much longer than usual thanks to the traits of Yamamoto's flames in the attack. He turned to the boy with newfound curiosity and asked the question that had been plaguing his mind while he was paralyzed.

"From our match, I assume you know the Mafia is not a game. Then, why keep pretending?"

Yamamoto chuckled. "Well, that's because –"

"SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

Asari and Yamamoto quickly exited the dojo and ran toward the direction of Giotto's shout. When they reached there, they were shocked to the core. In front of them, they saw Giotto drenched in blood and a heavily wounded Tsuna


	16. Chapter 16: A Boxer's Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: First, I would like to thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Answering TheFeyRa's question, I don't think Yamamoto is ambidextrous. He uses two swords in his cambio forma, right? I think it's natural for him to be able to wield sword using left or right hand. To cael05, thank for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee I'll use it since I'm already writing half of the next chapter. Like usual, review always makes me happy and gives idea to me.

Chapter 16: A Boxer's Regret

It was a sunny day. A perfect day to have a peaceful rest.

That was what Knuckle wanted to do.

But alas, he needed to help Giotto with party preparations. His boss had assigned him and Ryohei to handle and send invitations to their guests. It was a simple task. They just needed to sit in Knuckle's office, write invitations and send them to their guests. …Well, it was _supposed_ to be easy if you didn't consider Ryohei's inability to sit still and write invitations for hours using quill.

_SNAP!_

Another quill broke in Ryohei's hand.

The fifth one.

All within the span of two hours.

"Arrghh… Why is this quill broken EXTREMELY easy?" Ryohei said in his loud voice to no one before grumbling. "Why can't we use pen?"

Knuckle resisted the urge to sigh. It seemed Ryohei didn't really know how to use a quill. And, as a result, all the invitation letters written by Ryohei were messy.

Very, very messy.

Ink stains and blotches practically painted the stationary, making them unsuitable to be sent to their guests. Apparently, according to Ryohei, they didn't use quill anymore to write in the future. They used a long stick with ink inside it to write. He believed Ryohei called it a pen.

Knuckle ended up writing all the invitation letters by himself.

One task down, one task to go: They needed to send the invitation letters to their guests.

Knuckle had intended to use bird messengers to deliver the letters. It was easier this way, plus the birds were fast. It can be guaranteed that the letters would reach their destinations by the end of today. Unfortunately, Ryohei had a… different idea. An idea that would involve EXTREME physical exercising.

"Let's EXTREMELY deliver these letters by ourselves," Ryohei suggested.

"I don't think it's an EXTREMELY good suggestion," Knuckle said. "Some of the guests live quite far from here. It'll take us a few days to deliver these letters by ourselves."

"Eh, why not? It'll be an EXTREMELY good exercise for us," Ryohei countered, punching straight up in the air.

Knuckle paused. "…Ryohei, why did you like to do things in an extreme way?"

"Huh, what do you mean? I EXTREMELY don't understand." Ryohei was puzzled by the question.

Knuckle sighed. "Don't you think you're _too_ EXTREME sometimes? Like just now. You suggested us to deliver these letters to people who are miles away _in person_." He then looked at Ryohei. "You should be more careful. You might hurt yourself or other people with your extremeness."

"But, it can EXTREMELY improve our stamina and speed," Ryohei argued. "Aren't you a boxer? Don't you want great stamina and speed, too?"

Knuckle's eyes became shadowed when he heard this. It brought back unwanted memories. He muttered quietly, "But, I'm not a boxer anymore."

"Huh, why not? You don't have to be a boxer to practice boxing," Ryohei pointed out.

"Because I don't want to…" Knuckle's voice trailed off. "… I swore not to do anymore boxing."

"But, if you don't do any boxing, how are you going to help Primo and others when they're in danger?" Ryohei asked.

Knuckle was silent for a moment. Instead of answering Ryohei's question, he asked, "Why did you learn boxing?"

Now, it was Ryohei's turn to get silent. Needless to say, it was awkward. Ryohei was always a loud person. To see him so quiet and in deep thought like this was _very_ out of character for him. Ryohei gave his answer in a surprisingly normal voice.

"When we were little kids, my sister and I were often bullied by our senpai. I guess you could say that I became a boxer so I could protect my sister from those bullies. I trained hard to improve my boxing skills, and somehow it became a passion for me. It was very fun."

At this, Ryohei smiled. "Because of boxing, I was also able meet a lot of interesting people. Like Master Pao Pao, octopus head, Hibari, and Sawada." He then turned to the priest. "What about you?"

Primo's Sun Guardian glanced away from his successor. "Well, my reason is not really the same as yours. My father was a boxer. I always looked up to him. I guess you could say I learned how to box because I wanted to follow his footsteps. Just like you, I trained hard to improve my boxing skills."

"Then, why did you quit boxing?" Ryohei asked.

Knuckle felt unsure for a moment. He really didn't want to talk about this to other people, especially to strangers. But, Ryohei was not a stranger. He is in Vongola, and a boxer like him, too. Maybe he will understand him more than other people.

"You see, before I joined Vongola, I was a street fighter. I earned money by entering illegal matches. It was a fun time for me; I always won every match. But, that soon changed when I accidently killed my opponent." Knuckle looked away, refusing to meet Ryohei's eyes. "It was really an accident, but I could never forgive myself for what I'd done. I swore I would never do boxing again.

"When Giotto first asked me to join his family, I was hesitant. I didn't want to fight anymore. But, Giotto assured me that I wouldn't need to fight. I just needed to help treat their injuries when they were wounded. That's all. And, Giotto really kept his word. He never asked me to fight whenever a battle occurred. But, sometimes…" His voice trailed off.

"You wonder if it was enough to only stay at the sidelines and treat their wounds, right?" Ryohei finished it off. Knuckle simply nodded.

"When Giotto made his wish to the shooting star, I made the same wish, too. I wished to meet you to know if my efforts as a healer really contributed anything to Vongola," Knuckle added.

There was a great silence in the room again. Knuckle was waiting for an answer from Ryohei while Ryohei was thinking about what he should say. Ryohei, slowly but surely, understood why Knuckle advised him not to be too extreme in everything that he did. Knuckle didn't want him to make the same mistake he had made and be forced to carry the same regrets. He also understood that Knuckle had doubts on whether his healing skills were enough to help his family. Finally, Ryohei broke the silence.

"I don't think your healing skills _didn't_ contribute anything to Vongola," Ryohei said, ignoring Knuckle's frown and look of disbelief. He continued, "When Sawada became Vongola Decimo, the first thing that he did was to invest in medical care. Do you know why?" Knuckle shook his head. The Sun Guardian smiled at Knuckle's response before continuing. "When I asked Sawada about it, he said, 'No matter how much I train or get stronger, I can never guarantee everyone can fight a battle unscathed. Since I don't have healing skills like you, Onii-san, the least thing that I can do is to prepare great medical care for them.'"

Knuckle's eyes widened at this. He never thought someone like Tsuna would have such a great and kind heart. Usually, Mafia bosses never really concerned themselves with medical care. To them, it was a waste of money. Why bother to buy herbs, medicine and bandages when you can buy better weapons to strengthen up your Famiglia? Ryohei seemed to be able to read Knuckle's thoughts.

"I know Sawada doesn't look like it, but he's EXTREMELY great boss. I once had similar doubts like you, but Sawada quickly stomped it all away, telling me that without my healing skills, everyone would have been in much bigger trouble. I still remember how sore his punch was," Ryohei said.

Knuckle wanted to ask Ryohei more about Tsuna when their heard a shout.

"SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

They looked at each other and suddenly had a bad feeling. Knuckle and Ryohei quickly rushed to the door, intending to figure out the cause of the shout. However, before they could reach the door knob, someone burst into their room. It was Yamamoto.

"Senpai, Knuckle-san, we need your help right now," Yamamoto said between his pants.

Before either Sun Guardians could say anything, Yamamoto had already dragged them away. Ryohei was worried since it was rare to see Yamamoto this panicked. He soon understood why when they reached the doorway. He saw Primo drenched in blood and a wounded Tsuna. But, what shocked him to the core was the extent of Tsuna's wound…


	17. Chapter 17: Getting To Know Tsuna

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. If you notice this story's language and story flow improve, it's all because of her. So, don't forget to thank her, okay (^.^). Answering RyoSakuKya's question, it can be tough to be motivated to write a story. I read a lot of KHR fanfic first before I'm confident enough to write this story. Btw, I'll be busy with my study this month. So, update my not be as fast as before. I may also take a few days off from writing this fanfic. Anyway, enjoy this long awaited chapter. Also, review always make me happy.

Chapter 17: Getting To Know Tsuna

Giotto and Tsuna stepped out from the carriage. He subtly glanced at Tsuna, really hoping his plan was going to work.

Ever since the two met, Giotto always felt that there was something about Tsuna that seemed a little "off." Like there was more to the boy than what he's seen. And whatever he was overlooking, it was something important – a vital part of the boy as a boss and human being. Giotto, trusting his intuition, was determined to unravel that mystery.

Once the rest of his Guardians had left the meeting room, Giotto turned to G with a request to let him purchase some wine for the party. Yes, they could send a servant boy to do it. But the Vongola boss insisted that the boy may not know how to select wines of top quality and it could dampen the party's mood. It took a while, but after denying a thousand times that he wasn't doing it to avoid paperwork, G grudgingly approved.

Now the original plan was to use the wine trip as a pretense to get along with his successor.

…Which would be great and all if he could figure out exactly _how_..

To make things worse, they had become the focus of the town people's attention as soon as they left the carriage. Not that Giotto could really blame them – it's not every day you see the Vongola boss together with his almost perfect carbon copy. But it was really uncomfortable to hear them whispering behind their backs.

"When did Giotto have a son? I thought he was single," Gossiper No. 1 whispered.

"You mean he had an illegitimate son?" Gossiper No. 2 gasped.

"But, that boy is too old to be his son. He looks around 16 and Giotto is like 24. There's no way he had a child when he was 8." Gossiper No.3 pointed out the illogicality in Gossiper No. 2's speculation.

"Then, who is that boy?" Gossiper No. 2 huffed, a bit angry that Gossiper No. 3 was right.

Gossiper No. 3 shrugged. "Beats me," he replied. "I've never seen him until now."

Giotto chose to ignore them all the way to the winery. He hoped Tsuna was not too offended by all the whispering; however, it was hard to tell by the boy's expression.

They entered the winery and were greeted by the winemaker who then graciously led them through the racks, already knowing where to go. The Vongola were repeat customers at his shop, so the winemaker had long been acquainted with their boss's tastes.

After making arrangements then thanking the storekeeper for his assistance, the two Vongola bosses went on their way. Unfortunately, by then the glances and whispering seemed to have gotten worse.

"Do you think he's Primo's little brother?" Fangirl No.1 asked

"I don't know. But, I _do_ know he's cute. I wonder if he'll let us dress him up," Fangirl No. 2 giggled.

"Oh, oh! Do you think we should ambush and capture the brunette? This way we can have some fun with him," Fangirl No.3 suggested.

The rest of the fangirls nodded, "That's a very good idea."

Giotto shuddered when he heard those whispers and glanced over at Tsuna who appeared to be maintaining his calm look. However, taking a closer look, Giotto noticed that his body was tensed up, and he saw a tiny bit of red on the boy's cheeks. He couldn't tell if Tsuna was mad or embarrassed. It was probably the former more than the latter, he thought.

But little did Giotto know how wrong he was.

When Tsuna overheard the fangirls' whispering, he had two different reactions:

At first, he was freaking out. If the fangirls from this era were anything like the ones in the future, whatever they had planned could only spell torture for him. Those thoughts quickly led to Reborn's matchmaking party and –

Tsuna mentally shook his head. '_No, no. Not the time to freak out about that, too._' The young boss had enough to deal with, thank you very much.

His second and more prominent reaction was embarrassment, mostly from being called cute.

'_For crying out loud, I'm a _Mafia boss_! A Mafia boss cannot be cute.'_ Inner Tsuna sulked as he made a sand castle in the corner of Tsuna's mind.

It wasn't until a few moments later that he noticed something had bumped into his leg. He looked down; his calm expression unchanged, and saw a little girl crying.

Giotto became nervous. He half expected Tsuna to scold the girl when he knelt down in front of her. But to his surprise, Tsuna took out a handkerchief and was wiping away her tears with great care.

"There, there, don't cry," Tsuna said softly.

His tone seemed to have an immediate effect. The girl sniffled a bit then shyly looked at him through watery eyes.

Wanting to cheer her up, Tsuna pulled out a grape candy – something he always kept on hand for Lambo. She looked at the candy, then at Tsuna, and then at the candy again before stretching her hand out to take it. Finally, the girl smiled.

"Thank you, mister~"

Tsuna smiled back. "You're very welcome." She ran off to find her mother as he waved his hand good-bye.

If Giotto was shocked with the sudden change in Tsuna's personality, he did a really good job hiding it. He never thought the boy could be so warm and gentle. Silently, he wondered what other surprises the young don had in store for him…

"Is there something wrong, Giotto-san?" Tsuna looked at him questioningly as he got back up. The boy had changed back.

Giotto frowned. "Tsuna," he began, "you don't have to be so serious all the time, especially around me."

That caught Tsuna off guard. The only intelligent reply that he could think of was, "Huh?" before he mentally berated himself for the slip up.

Not noticing the boy's internal squabble, Giotto continued. "I don't mean to sound rude, but I like you more when you're not uptight. Just like when you were with that little girl."

Now, it was Tsuna's turn to be shocked. He never knew Giotto thought he was too uptight and serious. Inwardly, he sulked again. He didn't mean to disappoint Giotto.

"…Okay," he said quietly. "I'll… try."

Giotto smiled at this.

Nevertheless, it was still too awkward for Tsuna. He didn't really know how to do it. Technically speaking, the man was his great-great-great-grandfather. It's not like you can just hang out and talk freely with your great-great-great-grandfather. But, all things considered, it wouldn't hurt to at least try.

But first…

"Not to be rude, but can we go somewhere else? Preferably a place without a lot of people?" Tsuna asked hesitantly.

"Huh? Why?" Giotto was still thinking about his victory, so his tone came off a little clueless. Tsuna glanced around with nervous eyes.

"Uhh… I _really_ don't want to be caught by the fangirls. If you haven't noticed, they're trying to surround us," Tsuna pointed out.

True to Tsuna's words, a suspicious horde of females that can be identified as fangirls were moving around the buildings and trying to block off all exit routes. They were eying them like delicious pieces of meat. Needless to say, it scared the crap out of the two Mafia bosses.

Things got worse as both of their intuitions went off, telling them something bad was going to happen.

Giotto looked at Tsuna and said nervously, "I agree with your suggestion. Let's go."

Both bosses bolted down the street like their life depended on it. Literally. The fangirls proved hard to outrun. They were persistent and had high stamina, not to mention overwhelming numbers. But, after a series of cat and mouse chases, Giotto and Tsuna managed to lose them.

"Looks like… we threw them… off our tail," Giotto panted, trying to catch his breath. He took a look at their surroundings. At that moment, Giotto realized they were near a forest outside of town.

"None of the carriages come all the way out here, and we can't go back into town right now… I guess the option left is to walk back to the mansion," he sighed.

Tsuna, on the other hand, didn't pay attention to Giotto. His intuition was going haywire. It kept telling him they were in danger. At first, he thought it was because of the fangirls. But the fangirls were gone now and his intuition was still acting up, telling him to be on guard. As much as Tsuna wanted to ignore his intuition, he can't deny that it had saved his life many times before. Not to mention, he had the distinct feeling someone was watching them.

"Giotto-san, I think we should be on guard. There's someone else around here." Tsuna tensed a bit.

Giotto raised an eyebrow. "Tsuna, there're no fangirls around here anymore. You don't have to be worried or paranoid."

"That's not what I meant." Before Tsuna could tell Giotto, a group of men wearing suits surrounded them.

Each one of them was armed with weapons. Some were holding knives. Some had swords, while others were holding guns. Tsuna and Giotto quickly put on their gloves and went into HDWM. One of them, presumably their leader, took a step forward.

"Well, well, look what we have here. Vongola Primo and his beloved little brother." The man smirked.

"I suggest you leave us alone. We don't want any trouble," Giotto stated calmly, but silently he cursed himself for not sensing their presence first.

"Sorry, Primo. That won't happen. We're not going to let you get away like that." The man sneered. Without warning, they attacked Tsuna and Giotto who were already in their fighting stances.

Two people charged at Tsuna, thinking he was an easy picking. Unfortunately, their miscalculation caused them to be knocked unconscious by Tsuna's punch. Tsuna didn't let his small victory get to his head. He continued his assault, disarming weapons from his opponents while evading bullets shot by them. One by one the enemy fell down unconscious on the ground.

Even though he was fighting against them, he didn't look tired at all. The leader was shocked and scared. His men had been beaten up so easily. He'll be the next. This realization prompted him to take action. If he's going down, he thought, he'll take his enemy down with him. Tsuna's intuition suddenly warned him to turn his attention over to Giotto. His eyes' widened when he saw what the man was trying to do.

"Giotto-san, behind you!" Tsuna shouted, rushing toward Giotto without thinking as the man pulled the trigger with shaking hands.

Giotto didn't really know why Tsuna yelled like that. He was too busy fending off their attackers to actually pay attention. By the time he spun around to see what Tsuna meant, the man had already shot. Giotto closed his eyes.

_BANG!_

Giotto felt regret for dying like this. He shouldn't have lied to G and dumped paperwork on his right hand man just to get away from them.

_BANG!_

And, he shouldn't have conspired with Elena and Cozart to make Daemon jealous.

_BANG!_

He also shouldn't have purposely deprived Alaude from his coffee.

_BANG!_

And then blame it on Lampo just to see how fast he can run from a deprived coffee Alaude hell-bent on revenge.

_BANG!_

He shouldn't have made Asari snap and scar Knuckle by _accidentally_ locking them up to seeing how long Asari can stand Knuckle's EXTREMELY loud voice, and how long Knuckle can continue staying in an EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent room.

_BANG!_

And now, he's dying without having a chance to apologize to them. '_Everyone, please forgive me for all the pranks I've done to you. G, you're the best friend I ever had. I'm sorry for leaving you with an entire room full of paperwork. I didn't mean to let you do it all by yourself. But, you can't really blame me for it. Eighty percent of the paperwork was caused by the damages you did during your missions. And eating _my_ blueberry cheesecake in front of me while I was working didn't help your case.'_

"Giotto-san…" A voice called out.

'_Daemon, I didn't mean to conspire with Elena. But, she threatened to give me away to fangirls. They're a reincarnation of the Devil, and they won't stop until they get what they want. Not to mention, she held my roll cake as hostage. You have to understand. Besides, it's your fault for not paying attention to Elena, too. I just wish I knew how she managed to drag Cozart into all of this.'_

"Giotto-san, are you okay?" The voice spoke louder than before.

'_To Alaude, my Cloud Guardian, I hope you understand what it feels like when something you like is deprived from you. Serves you right. You shouldn't have eaten my super ultra delicious chocolate cake that I went through a lot of trouble to get right in front of me without a hint of guilt. Still, I hope you can forgive me for this.'_

'_And Lampo, I didn't mean to be so childish. I know I should be a responsible adult. And getting revenge on you is definitely not what a responsible adult should do. But, you brought this on yourself. Nobody eat my Black Forest cake and gets away with it. You should know that better than that.'_

"Giotto-san, please open your eyes," The voice said in desperate and weak tone.

'_Asari, I wish I hadn't made you snap when I locked you up with Knuckle. I could still remember how angry you were. But, honestly, you're always smiling. I swear. It's just a mere curiosity. I just wanted to know what it took to make you angry. That's all. Nothing more. It doesn't have anything to do with eating my strawberry cake behind my back.'_

'_And Knuckle, I didn't mean to scar you for the rest of your life. I hope you won't have nightmares about Asari becoming a demon and trying to skin you alive anymore. I just thought you might learn how to be calm from Asari by spending some quality time with him, especially after you destroyed my fluffy vanilla cake with your punch. But, fear not, I don't hold any grudges against you about it.'_

"Damn it, Giotto! Open your eyes or say something if you're okay! I don't save your sorry ass just to see you die!" The voice yelled on top of his lung.

'_I hope they won't be mad at me. But, seriously, what's with that voice? It totally ruins the mood,'_ Giotto thought as he slowly opened his eyes.

He was shocked to see Tsuna standing in front of him, taking all six bullets in his place. His mind went completely blank. Tsuna's upper torso and legs had been shot – his arms, too, since they were in the blocking position. The man had missed most of his important organs, probably because he was shaking so terribly. But, if this continued Tsuna will die because of blood loss. Giotto was pulled back to reality when Tsuna fell forward, unable to stand on wounded legs. He caught him just before his face hit the ground.

"I'm glad you're okay," Tsuna looked at Giotto, smiling gently before he slipped into unconsciousness.

Giotto's mind became numb at the very moment. There was so much blood on Tsuna's clothes. The only thing that indicated Tsuna was still alive was the movement of his chest. Many things went through Giotto's mind. Did Tsuna just take the blow for him? But, why? Why did he do that? Giotto can still hear Tsuna's last word in his mind. He can't let Tsuna die like this. He needed to get Tsuna to the mansion and find Knuckle as soon as possible.

Seeing how he failed to kill Vongola Primo, the man went into a full-on panic. He quickly pulled the trigger, only to realize it was out of bullets. At that very moment, Giotto gently laid Tsuna on the ground then vanished into thin air. Before the man could reload his gun, Primo reappeared before him and delivered a heavy punch to the man's gut. The man immediately fell unconscious.

Without wasting any time, Giotto turned around and lifted Tsuna onto his back. He used his flames to fly all the way home.

He didn't care how heavy Tsuna was.

He didn't care how tiring it would be to fly all the way to the mansion.

He didn't care how his expensive suit was being drenched with Tsuna's blood.

All he cared was getting Tsuna medical care as fast as possible.

When he reached the mansion, Giotto quickly barged through the double doors and, without any care, ignoring how unbecoming it was for a Mafia boss to appear this panicked, he shouted desperately, "SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"


	18. Chapter 18: Tension Among Vongola Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I really busy right now. Probably until the end of this October. So, update maybe late. First, as usual, I thank Rekishichizu and give her credit for doing an excellent job in 'beta'ing my story. Otherwise, the story will turn out lame. So, thank her once awhile in your review, okay. I always thought that Tsuna's regret when he was shot by Dying Will Bullet is sometimes a bit funny. So, I thought what about Giotto. They related to each other. Surely, he had funny regret when he was shot like Tsuna. And, that's how I came out Giotto's regret. I'm glad everyone like it. Anyway, review always make me happy.

Chapter 18: Tension Among Vongola Family

"SOMEONE, HELP ME OUT!"

Giotto's shout echoed throughout the mansion. He hoped someone heard his shout. Tsuna needed medical attention as fast as possible, or else he might not make it. This thought terrified Giotto greatly. They were just starting to get to know each other. He could see Tsuna was a nice kid. It would be horrible if Tsuna died like this, especially since he was the one at fault. Giotto breathed heavily, having overexerted himself to carry Tsuna all the way home, so much that he didn't hear the sound footsteps rushing toward them.

G and Gokudera were the first to arrive. They were speechless for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell happened to their bosses. G managed to recover first.

"What the hell happened to you two?" the redhead shouted with a hint of anger, confusion, and worry mixed all together.

"We… ran into some trouble," Giotto said tiredly.

"How the hell buying a wine can get yourself heavily wounded and drenched in blood?" he shouted again. Similar thoughts ran through Lampo's and Lambo's minds when they arrived at the scene. They were so shocked that they were rooted on the spot.

Giotto winced at the volume; his exhaustion seemed to amplify it in his head. Fortunately, Gokudera got a better grasp of the situation and started to take action. It was what a right hand man should do when their boss was in trouble, and definitely what made every boss want him as their right hand man.

But his loyalty belonged to only one.

And it belonged to Tsuna.

Instead of shouting loud like he usually does, Gokudera voiced his instructions in a calm manner, "Primo, put Juudaime down on the floor. We need to treat him now."

If the situation was not serious, Giotto, G and Lampo would have definitely voiced out their shock on Gokudera's mature personality and teased said boy about it. But, alas, they didn't have such luxury right now. Giotto nodded at the Guardian's order since Gokudera seemed to know what he was doing, and moved to pull his successor off his back. However, by then his fatigue had become too much for his body to handle and Giotto stumbled forward with Tsuna in tow. Before he could hit the ground, a dark blur came from his left and caught him in a firm grip.

"Stupid herbivore, watch where you're going," Hibari muttered, helping Giotto to stand up while glancing at the condition of his own boss.

"You've become weak. You should train more," Alaude said quietly as he took hold of the blond's other side. From that angle, it was easy for Giotto to see the concern veiled in both Cloud Guardians' eyes. Not having the strength to do much else, Giotto simply nodded and smiled weakly.

As soon as they put Tsuna down on the floor, Gokudera immediately rushed to his boss's side. He activated his Sun Flame and began healing Tsuna, earning yet another shocked look from his predecessors. At moments like these, Gokudera was very grateful for the fact that he had and could control multiple Flames in his body. Unfortunately, Sun was not his main Flame and, as such, the most he could do was prevent his Juudaime from bleeding out too quickly. Things worsened as Mukuro decided to choose that timing to make his entrance with Chrome.

"Oya, oya, what had happened here? Did someone got into a fight?" The Mist Guardian asked, his tone reflecting amusement.

Mukuro's seemingly indifferent disposition angered the older Storm Guardian. "Don't you see your boss is badly wounded?"

Now, G was treading into a dangerous zone. Mukuro's eyes narrowed. He may not look like it but he cared about Tsuna as much as everyone else. He just didn't like to show it—much like a certain skylark—and preferred to hide such affections behind his creepy, manipulative personality. Luckily, a certain baseball nut arrived in the nick of time to calm down the tension.

"Ma, ma, calm down. There's no need to fight," Yamamoto said cheerfully but frowned when he noticed everyone's worried look. "What's going on?"

"Would everyone focus right now? We need to do something about Primo and Juudaime," Gokudera snapped.

That really got everyone's attention. Yamamoto wanted to ask what happened to Tsuna and Giotto, but Gokudera cut in, "Now is not the time, baseball freak. Just go find Knuckle-san or that stupid turf top. I don't care what you do – drag them out here if you have to. Juudaime needs medical attention right now and my Sun Flames can only hold off the blood loss for so long."

Yamamoto nodded dumbly before sprinting toward Knuckle's office. Gokudera then shifted his attention to a shaking Lambo who had tears in his eyes, "Lambo, don't just stand there like an idiot. Go find the first aid kit and some bandages wherever they are or in that stupid hair of yours."

Rubbing his eyes to hide his tears, Lambo shouted, "My hair is not stupid, Stupidera!" before running off to find the stuff requested. Lampo offered himself to help Lambo since he knew where they kept those things around the mansion.

"Chrome, go get some hot water. We needed to clean up Juudaime's and Primo's wounds," Gokudera ordered Chrome, earning a nod from the timid girl. He then looked at G and Alaude. "Both of you, stop standing there like morons and check Primo's wounds. Acting like statues won't help anybody," Gokudera barked.

Normally, Alaude would smash Gokudera's face and G would blurt out curses that would make sailors proud. But Gokudera was right – a fact they begrudgingly admitted. They quickly went to Giotto, helping him to sit down properly while removing his clothes to treat his wounds. A minute later, Yamamoto came back literally dragging the two Sun Guardians with him. Knuckle immediately went to Giotto and started healing him with his Flame while Ryohei turned to Gokudera.

"Hey, octopus head, what happened to Sawada?" Ryohei asked.

"Shut up, turf top, and go heal Juudaime first. Questions can be asked later," Gokudera muttered. He turned a suspicious eye on Giotto. "You're not the only one who wants to know what the hell happened."

Ryohei nodded and proceeded to examine Tsuna. Even through his EXTREMELY short memory, Ryohei acknowledged his Flame's properties and worked the hardest at bettering his medical knowledge. It wasn't enough to qualify him as a doctor, of course, but he knew enough to treat common wounds they've experienced in the past.

"I need to take the bullets out from him. It's best if we move Sawada to the infirmary room and do it there," Ryohei said.

"I can show you the way," Knuckle said as he finished healing Giotto. It's a good thing Giotto's wounds were not serious. Only some cuts and bruises. Knuckle continued, "But we need to get some bandages and medicine first."

"Here you go," Lambo popped out of nowhere with Lampo, shoving all the bandages and first aid kits he could find on the Sun Guardian.

"Okay…" Knuckle said with a dumbstruck expression. "We also need some hot water. Can someone–"

"I've brought it," Chrome said, also coming out of nowhere and holding a basin of hot water. "Where should I put it?"

"Okay, follow me. We'll need them to treat Tsuna," Knuckle said, a bit perplexed by their efficiency. "Can someone–"

"Just show the way, herbivore," Hibari grunted, carefully picking up Tsuna in bridal style.

Knuckle just blinked and nodded dumbly. Who knew Decimo family can be very efficient. Everyone followed Knuckle obediently. Since Knuckle had healed his wounds, Giotto was able to walk without any help. G still worried, of course, but he insisted that he was fine.

Once they reached a certain set of doors, Knuckle turned around to face the group, his eyes and tone giving off an authoritative impression. "Okay, everyone needs to stay outside. Ryohei and I need all the space we can get to properly treat Tsuna."

Nearly every person present, especially Giotto, jumped up in protest. They wanted to be there for Tsuna. They couldn't just sit there and do nothing while the brunet was suffering and struggling to stay alive. It almost broke into a fight until Yamamoto came to the rescue.

"Ma, ma, calm down everyone. I'm sure everything will be okay. Tsuna is not weak. If there's someone that can survive six bullets, that would be Tsuna. Besides, he's in good hands. Knuckle-san and senpai have great healing skills. I'm sure they won't let Tsuna die like that. So, let's trust them," Yamamoto grinned stupidly.

If Asari didn't know about Yamamoto's serious side, he would have definitely been fooled by Yamamoto's stupid grin. He would have thought Yamamoto was an oblivious, carefree boy who didn't understand the gravity of the whole situation. But, Asari knew better than that after their match. He knew the Rain Guardian was extremely worried about Tsuna. Yamamoto's strained grin and how tightly he gripped his Shigure Kintoki was a dead giveaway.

Apparently, Asari was not the only one who noticed this. Everyone, especially the tenth generation, noticed his fake grin. They immediately knew why Yamamoto did that. He was trying to calm them down and cheer them up, despite how worried and anxious he really was when it came to his friend. When they thought about it carefully, Yamamoto's words were right. Tsuna was not weak and Ryohei had great healing skills. It made them feel bad for not trusting Tsuna and Ryohei.

"Tsk, of course I know that, baseball freak. You don't have to remind me at all," Gokudera mumbled in irritation.

"Kufufufu, I suggest you start working, Sasagawa Ryohei. You don't want to visit Hell, right?" Mukuro said eerily, earning a nod from the boxer.

And so, with nothing else they can do, the Vongola Guardians situated themselves outside in the hallway, distancing themselves from each other.

One hour.

Gokudera burned through an entire pack of cigarettes. When he noticed that he'd run out, a dark aura manifested around him in its place.

Two hours.

Hibari and Mukuro disappeared to who-knows-where to have a 'nice chit chat' with whoever dared to attack Tsuna. Of course, they were doing it to release tension, not because they were worried or cared about him. Plus, it was boring to be stuck with an emotional crowd (according to them anyway).

Three hours.

Yamamoto was doing image training as he swung his Shigure Kintoki, switching between its' bamboo and sword form with every swing as though testing the blade on a human body with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, it was not his usual, happy smile. It was a creepy smile that held a promise of a lot of pain.

Four hours.

Chrome was busy coming up with new ways to torment people while nailing a voodoo doll that had 'boss's attackers' written on its forehead, chanting curses and hexes to bring misery upon all those who dared to harm her boss.

Five hours.

Lambo was sitting in a corner, drawing a picture in crayon on how he would torture those who dared to hurt his nii-san when he got his hands on them.

Six hours.

Hibari and Mukuro returned with bloodied weapons in their hands. Mukuro had a creepy smile while Hibari leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as though nothing had happened.

Seven hours.

It was obvious to Alaude how worried and anxious the Decimo family was. Their depressing and gloomy aura practically engulfed the entire corridor, and all attempts to hide it behind their quirks failed miserably. Alaude also knew that with one little push, the Decimo family could snap at anytime – a ticking time bomb ready to go off. All that was needed was someone senseless enough to pull the trigger, and the Cloud Guardian sincerely hoped nobody was moronic enough to do such a thing.

"YOU STUPID, PINEAPPLE GIRL! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THAT!" Daemon shouted on top of his lungs, oblivious to the whole situation.

Obviously, Alaude's prayer was not answered. The Cloud Guardian had an urge to bang his head on wall. Luckily, Giotto had enough sense to stop his Mist Guardian from making the hugest mistake of his life.

"Daemon, shut up. I don't have time to deal with your antics," Giotto snapped.

"Huh? What happened?" Daemon asked, a bit worried since it was rare for his boss to suddenly snap like that.

"Tsuna got hurt when he went out with Giotto," Asari said.

"Hn, what's a big deal anyway? If he got hurt or dies, then it's his fault for being careless," Daemon sneered.

Instantly, the corridor became very silent.

The tenth generation stopped doing whatever they were doing and gave Daemon a nasty glare.

"You stupid melon head, you have a problem with Juudaime?" Gokudera growled, pulling out his dynamites.

"Kufufufu, my dear Chrome, it seems someone has not learned his lesson. Should we traumatize him?" Mukuro's red eye flashed to the numeral one kanji.

"I agree with you, Mukuro-sama," Chrome replied, calling out her trident.

"Melon head herbivore, for making loud noises, I'll bite you to death," Hibari stated as he brought out his tonfas.

"Lambo-san won't let you say something like that to Tsuna-nii!" Lambo shouted, fixing the thunder horns on his head.

"Ma, ma, calm down, everyone. I'm sure everyone will get their turn. There's no need to be agitated," Yamamoto smiled eerily with Shigure Kintoki in blade form.

They all slowly closed in on Daemon, weapons drawn and a menacing aura to match.

"Daemon, I think you're in a deep trouble," Lampo gulped audibly.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Daemon said, trying to hide his fear.

"Stupid melon head, you just had to provoke them now," Alaude flashed out his handcuffs, ready to use them if the tenth generation decided to go on a rampage.

"Ma, ma, calm down. I'm sure Daemon didn't mean anything at all," Asari tried to reason with them even though he was nervous with the situation inwardly.

The tenth generation continued their advance, undeterred to teach Daemon a lesson when…

…the door to the infirmary opened, revealing Ryohei and Knuckle.


	19. Chapter 19: A Dangerous Infiltration

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I'm back (^.^). Sorry for the late update. As usual, I give my credit and thank to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to give her credit for her work. I'm glad everyone like the previous chapter. Anyway, review always make me happy.

Chapter 19: A Dangerous Infiltration

"So, are we clear with this? Does anyone have any questions?" Giotto eyed his guardians critically, daring them to say something about his plan.

"Do we really need to this? I don't see why we should do this," Lampo whined but instantly shut up when his eyes met Giotto's glare.

"Do you have any problems with it?" Giotto asked sternly, clearly annoyed that someone questioned him.

"Ma, ma, lighten up a bit, Giotto. It's not that we don't want to help you," Asari said before frowning. "But, don't you think this is a little too extreme?"

"Hn," Alaude grunted in agreement.

"Why not? Don't you care about what happened to Tsuna?" Giotto stood abruptly, slamming his hands on the table. "Didn't you hear what Alaude said? The boy might be in danger."

"But, Giotto, it's only a rumor," G frowned. "I'm sure nobody is stupid enough to **attack**, **kidnap** or **kill** Tsuna just because a rumor says he's your little brother."

"Don't forget the one that says he is Giotto's illegitimate son," Daemon muttered loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Well, thank you for reminding me," Giotto replied sarcastically before opting for a more serious tone. "And there's nothing wrong with being cautious, G. Don't you always say something like that to me?"

"Yeah, I did. But I never said you should be paranoid," the redhead grumbled.

"G, I am _not_ paranoid!" A small tick worked its way into his jaw before Giotto moved away from the table and began pacing. "Don't you want to know what they're doing? Don't you worry at all? For all we know, something may have happened to Tsuna and his Guardians may be hiding it. What if Tsuna's hurt badly? What if he's dying?" At this word, the blond's face blanched in fear. Giotto started to panic. "Oh my god, what if he's really dying? What're we going to do? This is bad. This is really, really bad. We need to do something!"

G decided it was time to knock some sense into his childhood friend. "I'm sure they know what they're doing. They're Tsuna's Guardians after all. There's no need to resort to this crazy method."

"Crazy method? How, may I ask, can it be considered a _crazy method_?" Giottto snapped, raking his hair in frustration.

"For crying out loud, Giotto, you can't just declare war on Tsuna's Guardians just because you want to visit him!" G yelled impatiently.

"I'm not declaring war. I just said we should sneak into the infirmary room," Giotto argued.

"Which is equivalent to declaring war on them," G argued back.

"It's not."

"It is."

"It's _not_."

"It _is_."

G mimicked Giotto's earlier actions and raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with Giotto. 'Why did it have to come to this?' he mentally scowled as the redhead recalled what had happened two days earlier. Or to be more precise, right after the Sun Guardians came out from the infirmary room (and thereby accidentally saving Daemon from the Decimo family's wrath)…

* * *

><p>~Flashback of two days ago~<p>

The door opened to reveal Knuckle and Ryohei. Any thoughts regarding a certain melon head went out the window as the tenth generation rushed to the two in favor of knowing their boss's condition.

"How's Juudaime?" Gokudera asked first.

"Don't worry. Tsuna is okay. We were able to remove all the bullets safely, but he lost a lot of blood. Luckily, we managed to stop it on time, though right now he's still unconscious," Knuckle explained grimly.

"So, when will Tsuna wake up?" Yamamoto asked.

"That I'm not sure. Maybe two days or more? He's not in critical condition. It'll depend on Tsuna. However, I would suggest letting him rest as much as possible," Knuckle replied.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Tsuna was safe. He's still alive and breathing. That's all that really matters right now… Or so they thought.

"Can we go see him?" Giotto asked, attracting the tenth generation's attention.

"Sure, but don't be too loud. He still needs to rest," Knuckle reminded.

Giotto happily sauntered over and was about to reach for the infirmary's door when a flash of silver suddenly blocked him, pushing him back roughly. He blinked in confusion. Before the blond could say anything, a tonfa flew at his head, narrowly missing him by an inch out of pure reflex. Giotto looked at the tenth generation who had formed a sort of defense line in front of the infirmary.

"What are you doing?" Giotto asked.

"We're the one who should be asking. What are _you_ doing?" Gokudera scowled.

"Visiting Tsuna, of course," Giotto replied confusedly.

"Ha ha, we can't really let you do that. After all, you still have a lot of explaining to do," Yamamoto said.

"Yeah, like why Sawada got hurt," Ryohei spoke.

"I – That's – It's a long story," Giotto averted his eyes, not knowing what to tell to the tenth generation.

"Then shorten it," Hibari glared.

"Look, can I just see Tsuna first? I'll tell you everything afterwards," Giotto pleaded.

"Kufufufu, I'm afraid not. Either you tell us or you're in for a lot of trouble," Mukuro remarked as he brought out his trident.

With great hesitation, Giotto recounted what had happened earlier in town. Everything from how they got chased by fangirls to how they were ambushed by enemies. Giotto was squashed with guilt when he reached the part where Tsuna took the bullets for him.

"So let me get this straight. You _**LET**_ Juudaime take the bullets for you?" Gokudera yelled angrily.

"Ma, ma, calm down, Gokudera. Tsuna's sleeping. You'll wake him up with your loud shouting," Yamamoto reasoned while struggling to stop the Storm Guardian from launching himself at the blond. He then frowned after thinking a bit, "Although, I would like to know why they thought Tsuna was Primo's little brother."

"That would be because of the rumors spreading around," Alaude muttered.

Gokudera narrowed his eyes. "What rumors?"

"Some say you're our long lost siblings. Others say you're our illegitimate children," Alaude snorted at this. He then muttered, "But, I never imagined them to make a move this quickly."

"What do you mean by making a move?" Giotto asked, clearly unhappy that Alaude had kept him in the dark about this.

"With the situation as it is, some Mafia families may decide it's a good idea to kidnap our successors, especially Tsuna since he's supposed to be your little brother," Alaude stated indifferently.

Giotto raked a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me about all of this earlier?"

"I thought since Tsuna was with you, you could handle it. Besides, he looked like he can fight," Alaude reasoned.

"That didn't mean you should keep it a secret," Giotto retorted.

"Well then, I guess we have a good reason to keep Juudaime away from you," Gokudera said, grabbing the first generation's attention.

"What do you mean by that?" Giotto asked warily.

"Obviously you were too careless and Juudaime got hurt because of you. Until Juudaime wakes up, we're not going to let you go near him," Gokudera stated.

"Kufufufu, we'll also be taking over the west wing of this mansion," Mukuro added.

"You can't do this. You don't have any right," G shouted.

"Of course we have a right. Tsunayoshi got hurt because of Primo, so it's natural for him to pay some form of compensation to us. Not to mention, it's easier for us to watch over Tsunayoshi since the infirmary room is located in the west wing," Mukuro argued.

"Okay, I agree," Giotto answered without missing a beat.

"Giotto, you can't do that," his Storm Guardian scowled.

"Isn't there any other way to salvage this situation," Asari asked, trying to negotiate.

"Asari, G, its okay. It's my fault anyway," Giotto said before turning to the Decimo family, "You can have the west wing of this mansion. Can I see Tsuna now?"

"Nope, can't do that," Yamamoto answered. "We still don't trust you yet."

"That's EXTREMELY right," Ryohei roared.

"Primo-san, I think you better leave this to us. We're his Guardians after all," Chrome said firmly.

"But…" Giotto tried to protest but was cut in by Hibari.

"Herbivore, get out from here or I'll do it for you," Hibari hissed.

Seeing the tenth generation won't budge from their decision, Asari gently squeezed the blond's shoulder. "Let's give it a rest for now. I'm sure they know what they're doing. Besides, you need to rest, too."

A disheartened Giotto slowly nodded in reply.

~End of flashback~

* * *

><p>Needless to say, the tenth generation really kept their words. They took over the entire west wing and turned it into their base. They didn't let Giotto or anyone come close to the west wing, and any attempts to enter their 'territory' were all thwarted by them. Knuckle even tried using Tsuna's condition and his healing abilities as an excuse but was rejected almost immediately. They had Ryohei to do that.<p>

For two days, Primo's family only heard silence from the Decimo family. Giotto barely slept in that time as he desperately wanted to know how Tsuna was doing. His anxiety quickly ate away at his nerves and, unsurprisingly, the blond began coming up with scenarios that 'probably' happened to Tsuna. Finally, unable to suppress it any longer, he decided to take a drastic measure. One that could lead to a war between the Primo and Decimo family if it failed horribly.

Giotto proposed to infiltrate the Decimo family's base.

Of course not everyone agreed to his proposal which led to their current bickering.

"Giotto, I'm sure everything is fine," Asari asserted, trying to calm them down. "Tsuna is strong. Besides, Knuckle had healed most of Tsuna's wounds."

"Most. Not _all_," Giotto cut in.

"But…"

"No buts, Asari. We need to see Tsuna right now." Giotto gritted his teeth. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. His voice barely came out a whisper, "I know you may think this is crazy plan. I know that for the past two days nobody has managed to get into their base without being knocked unconscious for one whole night. But, I need to see Tsuna. I – I owe him so much. So, please help me."

Giotto's request fell on bleeding hearts. Seldom do the Guardians see the blond in this state, but it was enough to make them want to help their boss no matter how irrational he may seem to be. And try as they might, but not even Alaude or Daemon could ignore the 'I'm a poor Mafia boss who had been abandoned by my Guardians' look on his face.

G sighed in defeat. "Fine, we'll help you. But just this once."

"Ore-sama wants to see their lame base too," Lampo yawned.

"We can't let the Decimo family do everything they want, right? After all, the west wing is part of our mansion," Daemon spoke.

"Hn," Alaude just grunted.

"Ha ha ha, I guess it's settled then," Asari smiled.

"Let's EXTREMELY infiltrate their base," Knuckle roared, punching straight up in the air.

"Thanks, guys," Giotto gave them a grateful smile before shouting with a full spirit. "Let's get this operation started!"

And that marked the beginning of infiltration mission on Decimo family's base.


	20. Chapter 20: Decimo Family's Base

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: First, I would like to thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Thank for improving my story. If not, we will read a story with grammatical error and confusing sentence structures. So, don't forget to thank her in your review for her work. To sunstar13, I can't really answer your question since it will be a spoiler. You just have to wait. Sorry. Anyway, I'm glad you like the last chapter. Personally, I don't think Tsuna's Guardians were out of character much. They're just a bit overprotective. Anyway, review always makes me happy. So, don't forget to review.

Chapter 20: Decimo Family's Base

"_~Welcome to the Decimo Famiglia's Base~"_

If anyone saw this signboard, they'd definitely think that they would be welcomed with open arms. But don't jump into that conclusion too fast. Read everything to the end, especially the fine print.

"_P.S. Enter at your own risk. Any injuries, maiming or deaths past this point – which you are surely going to get – will not be held accountable towards any member of the Decimo Famiglia. You have been warned."_

And let's don't forget the decorations on the entrance leading to the west wing: If you think human skulls and skeletons are made for warm and welcoming entryways, you are dead wrong. If anything, it looked more like the entrance to some haunted house or hellish torture chamber.

And that's exactly what Primo's family thought as they stood in front of the Decimo family's base entrance.

"Are you really sure this used to be our west wing?" Lampo gulped.

"Nufufufu, it seems they're using real illusions for this," Daemon commented. "I hate to admit it, but they're good. Not many people can make realistic illusions like this."

"So, it's all the more reason why we shouldn't be here," Lampo said, pivoting on his heels to leave the place.

Unfortunately, G caught the back of his collar. "You're not going anywhere. We're going in there and we're going right now."

"B-but that place is scary," Lampo shuttered.

"Not to mention, they may have set a few traps for us that can probably injure, maim or kill us if what the signboard said was true," Daemon muttered.

"Ha ha ha, don't worry, Lampo. We'll be there for you. You don't have to be scared," Asari laughed.

"I'm _not_ scared," Lampo tried to act brave.

"Then why are you shaking?" G asked with a smug look.

"I am _not_ shaking. I-it's just very cold here," Lampo lied, hoping the others will buy it.

"Lampo, it's EXTREMELY not nice to lie to everyone," Knuckle shouted.

"Could you keep your voices down?" Giotto asked quietly. "We're supposed to be silent. How're we going to infiltrate their base if you're all too loud?"

"Sorry," everyone mumbled with the exception of Daemon and Alaude.

"Alaude, do you have the layout on their base?" Giotto asked, turning his attention to said man.

With great professionalism, Alaude nodded and pulled out a set of blueprints. "I have the original layout plan on the west wing. But, we can never be sure they haven't made changes after they took it over."

"I see," Giotto nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" G asked.

"Simple. We just go there, see Tsuna, make sure he's okay, and then get out of there as fast as possible," Giotto replied, earning a smack on his head from G. "What?" he asked, completely unaware of everyone's look of disbelief.

"Can't you think of a better idea?" G glared.

"It's just a suggestion. No need to be offended," Giotto held up his hands.

"And I thought you had it all planned out when you suggested we infiltrate their base…" G muttered.

"That doesn't matter. What matters now is to see Tsuna. Let's go and do it!" Giotto yelled in high spirit only for his Guardians to cover his mouth.

"Idiot, you just told us to keep quiet! Do you want to terminate our mission before we even begin?" G hissed.

"Ha ha ha, sorry," Giotto laughed sheepishly.

Without further delay, their mission commenced. Giotto confidently moved towards the door and turned the doorknob.

"Let's do our best to reach Tsuna," Giotto said as he pushed the door.

However, as soon as he pushed it open, a blinding light came out. Primo's family quickly covered their eyes. Before they knew it, they were separated and in a strange place.

* * *

><p>~With Alaude, Lampo and Daemon~<p>

Lampo groaned and rubbed his eyes. That blinding light really hurt his eyes. Why did he agree with Giotto in the first place? Ah, that's right. Giotto pulled his innocent, sad, puppy face look. How could he say no to that? Lampo wanted to complain about his misfortune when he realized where he was.

He was in a graveyard.

And if that wasn't bad enough, he was stuck with Alaude and Daemon – the two most violent Guardians of their Famiglia.

His right leg was cuffed to Alaude's left leg while his left leg was cuffed to Daemon's right leg, like how they would do it in a three-legged race. He didn't want to imagine what was going to happen now. Giotto was not here to calm them down. And since his legs were cuffed to their legs, he couldn't run away from them. To put it simply, he was screwed in many ways.

"This is a dream. This is a dream. I am not in a graveyard, and I am not with Alaude and Daemon," Lampo chanted, wishing he was just having a nightmare, totally unaware that Daemon and Alaude had woken up.

"Nufufufu… You're annoying me, Lampo. Should I make you silent?" Daemon chuckled eerily.

"Nope," Lampo gulped audibly.

"That's better," Daemon nodded. "Now, let's find a way out from here."

Daemon then tried to stand up, only to stumble. He looked at his right leg and found that, to his shock, it was bound to Lampo's left leg. Alaude seemed to have noticed his left leg was cuffed to Lampo's right leg, too. Daemon and Alaude glared at Lampo.

"You have ten seconds to explain what happened," Daemon growled.

"I – I don't know. The cuffs were already there when I woke up," Lampo whimpered.

"It's against the law to lie," Alaude glared.

Obviously, the Cloud and Mist Guardians did not like Lampo's answer. They would happily use force to get information out from Lampo if necessary. For some reason, the Lightning Guardian had a gut feeling that today was going to be a long day for him. Hopefully, he came out unscratched.

…Hopefully.

* * *

><p>~With Asari and Knuckle~<p>

When Knuckle woke up, he was very confused. The first thing he did was look around for his friends. He found no one except Asari. To his surprise, his right leg was cuffed to Asari's left leg. Knuckle took a moment to survey his surroundings.

They were in a corridor.

An EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent corridor.

Just like that EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent room where he was 'accidentally' locked in together with Asari.

He then noticed that Asari had brought his swords.

Horror slowly etched on Knuckle's face as realization came to his mind.

He was _trapped_ in an EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent corridor with _Asari_ who had his _swords_ within arm's reach.

Just like that time.

Asari chose that moment to wake up. He was confused to see Knuckle staring at him as though he was going to change into a demon. He waved a hand in front Knuckle, trying to get his attention. Knuckle, on the other hand, was frozen on the spot, remembering the nightmare he had when he was with Asari and the Rain Guardian had snapped.

Knuckle desperately prayed, 'Dear Lord, until we find a way out of here, _please_ don't let Asari turn into a demon and try to skin me alive.'

* * *

><p>~With Giotto and G~<p>

"How the hell did our legs get cuffed together?" G bellowed, clearly annoyed with the current situation. "And why the hell can't I get it off?"

"Come on, G. It can't be that bad. We used to do it when we were kids. Remember the three-legged race we used to have?" Giotto said.

"But that doesn't mean I want to do it _right now_," G retorted.

When Giotto and G woke up, they, too, found that their legs were cuffed to each other, much to their displeasure. And if that was not bad enough, they found themselves in the middle of an unknown forest.

"How the hell did we land in a forest?" G shouted.

"I don't think it's a real forest, G. I think someone cast an illusion over us to make us think that we're in a forest," Giotto answered calmly, dragging G towards a wall. "The exit should be around here…"

"How do you know all of this?" G asked curiously, slightly impressed with Giotto.

"Hyper intuition," the blond muttered as his hands brushed against the wall. G wanted to yell at Giotto for believing such nonsense but was interrupted when Giotto let out a yell of triumph, "Found it!"

Before the redhead knew it, a door appeared in front of them. Giotto just grinned and gave an 'I told you so' look.

G could only sigh. "Let's just find the others and get out of here. The sooner we see Tsuna, the better."

* * *

><p>~With the Decimo family~<p>

"Kufufufu, it seems someone dared to infiltrate our base," Mukuro chuckled.

"What should we do now, Mukuro-sama?" Chrome asked, gripping her trident.

"Tsk, do you really need to ask? Of course we're going to stop them," Gokudera scowled.

"That's EXTREMELY right," Ryohei roared.

"Ha ha ha, it's going to be very interesting. Do you think they can get through the traps and reach here?" Yamamoto grinned.

"Herbivore, are you questioning my security system?" Hibari glared.

"Kufufufu… Yamamoto Takeshi, my illusions are high class. There's no way they can be broken that easily," Mukuro said.

"Ha ha ha, don't be mad. I was just checking." Yamamoto rubbed the back of his head.

"Ne, ne, Lambo-san's going to bomb them away with his grenades," Lambo declared childishly.

* * *

><p>Everyone in the Primo family suddenly felt a shiver run down their spines. For some reason, they had a feeling the Decimo family won't let them pass through easily. They could only hope that they didn't make a mistake by coming here.<p> 


	21. Chapter 21: A Mismatch Group

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: As usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for her work in 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank her for her work in your review. To those who are wondering why Knuckle scared at Asari, refer to Chapter 17 where you'll find Giotto's regret part. It explained everything. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 21: A Mismatch Group

To say that Alaude was pissed off was an understatement. If looks can kill, he would have killed Lampo and Daemon a thousand times over by now. Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow him to do that. No matter what he did, the damn cuff couldn't be taken off. Alaude growled at the situation.

If that was not enough…

_BAAMM!_

They've been stumbling and falling on the ground.

Every five steps they took.

The reason?

His leg is cuffed to a whiny brat's leg which happened to have his other leg cuffed to a certain stupid melon head's leg.

So, yeah, Alaude had every right to be pissed off.

"Would you stop making us fall?" Daemon glared at Lampo.

"Me? What've I done? You're the one who walks too fast," Lampo whined.

"Are you an idiot? You're the one who walks too slowly," Daemon countered.

"That's not true," Lampo shouted.

Daemon wanted to yell back at Lampo but Alaude cut in, having had enough of their loud bickering. "Stop fighting and figure out how we can move without falling."

"Nufufufu… It seems we have a cranky skylark," Daemon smirked mockingly. "What makes you think we'll follow your orders?"

"Because I said so," Alaude growled.

"Then, I guess I can't comply," Daemon answered back.

"I'll force you if I have to," Alaude threatened.

"Make me," Daemon sneered.

Lampo knew he had to do something about this immediately. His body was still sore from the beating he received from Alaude and Daemon. He _really_ didn't want to be in the middle of their fight. Of course the perfect solution was to run as far away as possible from the two Guardians and wait for them to finish their brawl. Unfortunately, Lampo couldn't do that since he was cuffed to them. Luckily, an idea came to his head.

"Wait! I know how we can solve this problem," Lampo said, catching their attention.

"Nufufufu… And what is this solution?" Daemon raised his eyebrows while Alaude listened intently.

"Look, we keep falling because we can't coordinate our movements with each other, right?" Lampo asked, earning a nodded from Daemon and Alaude. "So, why don't we choose a leader and follow his lead?"

"Nufufufu, sounds simple enough. I guess I should be the leader, then," Daemon announced loudly.

"You're not fit to be a leader," Alaude glared. "If anybody should be leader, it'd be me."

"Wait! I know a way to choose a leader," Lampo offered, putting a stop to their bickering.

Alaude frowned, "And how are we going to choose this so-called leader?"

"By using Vongola's standard method of choosing a leader," Lampo replied, taking out a small book titled 'The Vongola Mafia Rulebook' from somewhere in his shirt. He turned to page 67 then read aloud for everyone to hear. "Paragraph 17, Section 2, Subsection A of 'The Vongola Mafia Rulebook' states: _In any case where there is a fight regarding who should be leader, the one with higher authority and position will temporarily lead the team until a suitable leader is appointed by the current boss of Vongola._"

Daemon frowned when he heard this. "That won't do. The highest position after the boss is the Guardians. Since we are all Giotto's Guardians, we technically have the same authority and position. How're we going to choose the leader now?"

"I'm not done yet," Lampo said before continuing where he left off. "However, Paragraph 17, Section 2, Subsection B of 'The Vongola Mafia Rulebook' also states: _In any case where the leader candidates have the same authority and position, the leader will be decided through a certain match._"

"And what is this so-called '_match'_?" Alaude asked, somewhat intrigued.

"Rock-paper-scissors," Lampo answered.

Silence.

A deadly silence.

Lampo immediately held up his hand as Alaude and Daemon were ready to beat him up again. "It's true. I don't lie. You can check it yourself."

"Let me see," Daemon muttered, snatching the book from Lampo's hand. After reading the rule multiple times to make sure it was true, he begrudgingly gave the book to Alaude, "He's right. Look at it yourself."

Alaude's eyes narrowed. "It's a stupid way to choose a leader," he growled, throwing the book back to Lampo after reading it which Lampo caught clumsily.

"As much as I hate to admit, I agree with you," Daemon commented.

"Then, lets decide it with a fight," Alaude suggested, getting into his fighting stance.

"Nufufufu, you will lose to me," Daemon said, brandishing his scythe.

"But, wait! We need to follow this rule or else there'll be a punishment," Lampo interrupted, waving the book frantically.

"And what is that?" Daemon's eyebrows twitched, clearly annoyed with the interference.

Lampo read the book again, "Paragraph 17, Section 3, Subsection A of 'The Vongola Mafia Rulebook' states: _If anyone refuses to follow the rules stated in Paragraph 17, Section 2, Subsection A and Subsection B without giving a valid reason, he or she will be punished by a sentence worse than death…"_

Alaude and Daemon raised their eyebrows at this. What punishment can be worse than death?

"_He or she will have to do paperwork –_"

Daemon snorted, "Paperwork? It's not _that_ hard to do."

Alaude grunted in agreement.

"– _for an entire month._" The Guardians froze on the spot when they heard this. However, Lampo didn't notice and continued to read. "_During such period, he or she will not be allowed to take any missions no matter how much he or she begs. The only missions that will be given to said person are diplomatic missions to deal with –_"

For some reason, Alaude and Daemon had a dreadful feeling. They really hoped it was not what they thought it was. They would accept any mission thrown at them as long as it didn't have anything to do with…

"– _fangirls_," Lampo finished as he closed the book.

For a moment, they were all quiet. Each one of them was weighing the pros and cons of following the rule. Choosing a leader through rock-paper-scissors was ridiculous. Alaude and Daemon swore that when they found Giotto, they were going to strangle him for making such ridiculous rule. But, the punishment of breaking said rule was not something they looked forward to doing. After struggling with it for a bit, they made their decision.

"Let's decide it with rock-paper-scissors," Alaude grumbled.

"Losers can't hold grudges on the winner," Daemon added, earning a nod from the other two.

In unison, they brought their hands down and shouted, "Rock-Paper-Scissors!"

The result?

Lampo's scissor cut through Alaude's and Daemon's paper, making him the winner.

"Yeah, I won! You have to listen to me now," Lampo yelled in victory, earning a glare from Alaude and Daemon.

With the Lightning Guardian's awkward coordination, they managed to walk without falling on the ground every five steps they took. It didn't become a problem until they reached the end of the graveyard and had to choose one of three alleys in front of them to proceed.

"Nufufufu, it seems we need to make a choice," Daemon said, gripping his scythe tightly. "I think we should take the right one. I have a score to settle."

"No, we should take the left one. I need to teach someone a lesson," Alaude hissed.

"Nufufufu… It seems we have a disagreement. Let's hear what our leader has to say about this," Daemon said, turning his attention to Lampo. "Lampo, you agree with me, right?

"No, Lampo agrees with me. We are going to take the left alley," Alaude pressed.

Lampo gulped as Alaude and Daemon glared at him, trying not so subtly to threaten him into agreeing with their choice. He was starting to regret winning the game. If not, he wouldn't be in this position. As he looked at the signboard in front of him, he cursed whoever was suicidal enough to leave such a message.

'_Dear whoever was suicidal enough to come to this base,_

_In front of you, there are three alleys. All of them will lead you to your destination. _

_If you choose the right alley, you will meet a dashing young illusionist who had defeated a certain melon head illusionist without breaking a sweat. This alley is only for people who are talented in and appreciate extremely gory and sadistic illusions. It is guaranteed you'll be spending some time in Hell if you decide to choose this alley. As such, cowards should not choose this alley if they do not want to pee in their pants._

_To those who wish to choose the left alley, it is suggested for you to have decent fighting skills since you will definitely meet a certain bloodthirsty prefect who will, without a doubt, bite you to death. It is guaranteed that you will experience pain beyond your imagination. You will definitely have broken bones, fractured ribs, a bloody head and other nasty injuries. As such, it is advisable, especially for a certain old man who loves to play with handcuff toys to prepare a first aid kit to treat his injuries when said man is beaten to a pulp. _

_If you choose the middle alley, it will lead you to a place full of EXTREMELY loud shouting. You may lose your hearing if you choose this way. As such, it is advisable for you to have earplugs before you walk through this alley. Please note that this alley will probably have some traps set in it. Therefore, please be careful as we have reminded you with the signboard in front of our base's entrance that we will not take responsibility for any injuries, maiming and deaths that happen during your exploration of this base._

_From,_

_The Decimo Famiglia_

_P.S. Hope you have a lot of fun exploring our base._

It was not that hard to figure out whom 'melon head illusionist' and 'old man' referred to. Needless to say, Alaude and Daemon were pissed off and wanted to teach their respective successors a painful lesson. Unfortunately, they were cuffed to each other and, as such, could only choose one of the alleys in front of them. But, the only person who could make that decision was Lampo since he had won the rock-paper-scissors game. Alaude and Daemon cursed Giotto again for making such a stupid rule.

"Lampo, we should go to the _right_," Daemon insisted with an eerie smirk.

"Stupid brat, we are going to the _left_," Alaude growled, his killing intent on the rise.

Each Guardian was, without a doubt, unwilling to give ground on the issue.

Lampo was torn apart. He didn't know who he should listen to. If he went with Daemon, he will definitely be spending time with Alaude in his interrogation room – something that Lampo wanted to avoid at all cost. But if he listened to Alaude, he will have to deal with Daemon's sadistically gory illusions. So, what should he do now? No matter which side he chose, he will be on the receiving the end of the other's wrath. As the realization dawned in Lampo's head, he made his mind up. If he was going to die by their hands, it'd be better to die without any regrets.

"Enough! I've had enough. We are going to take the middle alley," Lampo shouted at the top of his lungs, unable to withstand the pressure any longer.

It was really strange and amazing how pressure can change a person. Lampo himself was a great example. Who knew a spoiled brat like him could stand up against two of the most dangerous Guardians in all of Vongola?

"What did you just say?" Daemon hissed, clearly not liking Lampo's decision.

"I'm the leader here! So, we're going to choose the middle alley," Lampo said firmly, not backing down. "Besides, its better this way. Our priority is to reach the infirmary room. So avoiding confrontation as much as possible will increase our chances of success."

If Daemon and Alaude were shocked by Lampo's determination, they clearly didn't show it. However, what happened next really stunned them to the core.

Lampo grabbed their arms and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Middle alley! Here we come!"

Not knowing what else to do, they followed Lampo's lead, only to…

_SNAP!_

…fall into a trap.

Before they knew it, they were trapped in a net and suspended in midair. It was very humiliating for them. No matter what they did, they couldn't free themselves. Then, three people made their appearances from their respective alleys.

"Kufufufu, it seems someone fell into our trap," Mukuro chuckled mockingly, coming out from the right alley. "And to think we went through the trouble of warning them. I guess the signboard was useless."

"That was a very EXTREME trap. We should do it again," Ryohei roared, coming from the middle alley.

"Hn, stupid herbivores," Hibari muttered as he came out from the left alley.

Daemon was seething. "Let us go!"

"Kufufufu, we can't do that. As our prisoners, I suggest you to shut up," Mukuro said, tapping his trident on the ground.

Soon enough, Alaude, Daemon, and Lampo were surrounded by mist. For some reason, they felt very drowsy. It didn't take a long for them to fall into a deep sleep.

"Mission of detaining Cloud, Mist and Lightning: Success," Mukuro smirked.


	22. Chapter 22: Rain And Sun In Horrorland

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: As usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank her in your review for her work. Answering A Natsume Yuujinchou lover's question, I came up with the rule while Rekishichizu edited it. To cael05, Chrome did the signboard. Of course, she wrote it with the help of other Guardians. To xxAliceDeLunaxx, Decimo family renovated the west wing into their base on the day they took over it. In this story line, it should be three days after they arrived in the past. To long live marshmallows, I'll think your suggestion. Maybe I'll dedicate a full chapter for it. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 22: Rain And Sun in Horrorland

Asari and Knuckle have been walking down the EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent corridor for fifteen minutes, with the end nowhere in sight. So far, they haven't encountered their friends or the tenth generation, which was lucky in a way since they were also avoiding confrontation with their successors. After all, Knuckle had sworn not to get involved in a fight unnecessarily, and he intended to stick to his words. But, the situation would be much better if their movements were not hindered by these cuffs…

It was easy to tell how unnerved Knuckle was by the silence of the corridor. For one reason or another, the place reminded him of unwanted memories. He wished he could drive it all away with his high volume shouting, but with Asari and his swords here, it may be the last thing he does. Knuckle knew well from experience that the happy-go-lucky Guardian was not one to be pushed beyond his limits. But despite everything, he couldn't stop himself from fidgeting, which didn't go unnoticed by Asari.

"Knuckle, what's wrong? You've been fidgeting ever since we woke up in this place," Asari asked, genuinely worried for his companion. "Come to think of it, you haven't made a sound in the last fifteen minutes, either…"

Knuckle laughed nervously. "Ha ha ha, it's nothing. There's nothing to be worried about."

"Are you sure?" he asked one more time, clearly not believing Knuckle.

Said Guardian shook his head. "It's… nothing," Knuckle replied softly, which was very out of character for him to do. "It's just that…"

"Don't tell me that it's because you're afraid I'm going to snap and try to skin you alive like last time?" Asari inquired, slightly in disbelief.

"No, it's not like that," Knuckle denied quickly before averting his eyes in shame. "I just don't like this corridor. That's all."

Asari merely looked at him in confusion, not understanding what his friend was trying to say.

Knuckle fidgeted with the bandages on his hands. "It – It's too quiet," he said hesitantly. "I know this may sound funny but this place makes me remember things I'd rather forget."

The two paused in their walk. Asari was silent for a moment before he smiled gently. "Want to talk about it?"

"No, it's okay. I'll manage somehow," Knuckle assured.

Asari frowned again. "You know if you talk about your problems to someone, it'll help you to overcome it."

There wasn't anything Knuckle could say to that. After a bit of thinking, he began, "As you know, I was a street fighter before I became a priest." Asari nodded as he continued, lost in memory lane, "I joined illegal matches to earn a living, though they were always held in a dark, creepy, secluded place. I never minded going there as long as I earned a lot of money, or had a good match… until **it** happened." Knuckle grimaced at this.

Asari didn't interrupt Knuckle. He knew the ex-boxer was referring to the incident where he had accidentally killed his opponent.

"Now, whenever I'm in a dark, creepy place like this, it always reminds me of my days as a boxer and the opponent whose life I had taken," Knuckle said sadly and looked at Asari. "But, you don't need to worry. I have my own ways of handling it."

"Is that the reason why you're always so loud, especially when you're in a dark, creepy place? To chase away those bad memories?" Asari asked out of blue, surprising the Sun Guardian.

"…Yeah, you can say something like that," Knuckle answered, glancing away. "It's dumb, right?"

The Rain Guardian shook his head. "Nonsense. I don't think like that. Everyone has their own way of dealing with their problems," Asari insisted. "It's okay if you want to be loud. I don't mind."

"You're really okay with that? You're not going to try to skin me alive if I'm too loud?" Knuckle asked suspiciously, eyeing Asari's swords with caution.

You couldn't really blame Knuckle for saying something like that. He still had nightmares about it, after all, though they were not as frequent as before. Needless to say, Knuckle was not looking forward to a repeat performance that led to such nightmares.

"It's okay. I don't mind as long as you're not _too_ loud." Asari shrugged before suggesting an idea, "How about I play a song for you? Hearing songs always cheer people up."

As if on cue, a song echoed throughout the EXTREMELY dark, creepy, silent corridor.

_~Namimori Middle~_

_~Full with green scenery~_

_~Not too small but not too big either~_

_~It fits perfectly~_

"Ha ha ha, Asari, that's a good one. But, can you sing another song? Preferably one that's less creepy?" Knuckle laughed, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Ha ha ha, I would like that, too. But, unfortunately, I'm not the one who sang it," Asari answered, equally as nervous.

"Then, who? Don't tell me a ghost is singing it?" Knuckle speculated.

As if answering Knuckle's question, the song echoed again. This time, it was accompanied by clouds of smoke that crept along the ground. They could hear the sound of something flapping.

_~Namimori Middle~_

_~Full with green scenery~_

_~Not too small but not too big either~_

_~It fits perfectly~_

Asari quickly pulled out his swords while Knuckle got into his boxing stance. It felt like an eternity, waiting for whoever that sang the song to make his appearance. Asari and Knuckle tensed as something came out from the smoke. It was…

…a bird.

A cute, little, yellow bird.

The bird flew, circling around them while chirping, "Herbivore, herbivore."

The two Guardians blinked for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Ha ha ha, to think we'd get scared because of a bird," Knuckle said.

"Yeah, I can't believe it, too," Asari replied before turning his attention to the bird. "Can you show us way around here?"

As if understanding Asari's request, the bird chirped, "Over here, over here."

"Ha ha ha, I guess it wants us to follow," Asari deduced.

"Let's go to the EXTREME!" Knuckle roared.

They followed the yellow bird as best as they could with the cuffs. Fortunately, the bird was considerate enough to slow down for them. They were led to a hallway where there were many doors. The bird landed on a red door knob.

As Asari and Knuckle approached the door, the bird chirped, "Open it, open it."

"Well, I guess we should open it," Knuckle said as he turned the door knob, failing to notice a signboard not far from the door.

As soon as they stepped into a dark room, the door slammed closed. Asari and Knuckle looked at each other before shrugging it off, but instantly regretted doing so as something tackled them to the ground. Before Asari knew it, his swords were already gone. Knuckle shoved the attacker away. They quickly stood up, squinting to identify whoever had assaulted them. What they saw shocked the two Guardians.

"Dear Lord, where on earth did they get a leopard?" Knuckle asked aloud in wonder.

The leopard was big. Not only that, it had Storm Flames covering its ears and tail. It was watching them, waiting for a chance to pounce. Normally, the Rain Guardian wouldn't be wary to face such an animal. But, he had lost his swords.

"Knuckle, I think we should get out of here. I don't have my swords," Asari said, earning a nod from Knuckle.

They scrambled as quickly as their cuffed legs allowed. Luckily, they managed to get out of the room and shut the door in the nick of time, barely escaping the leopard's claws.

With their backs against the only thing separating them from the beast, Asari finally noticed the signboard they had previously overlooked.

'_Dear whoever dared to come to this base,_

_There are seven doors in this hallway. All of them will lead you to various animals with the exception of one door._

_Please keep in mind that even though the animals may _look_ cute, adorable, and/or small, it doesn't mean they are not dangerous. As it is troublesome to dispose of bodies and remove bloodstains from the walls, we'd highly recommended for you to think first before opening a door, and please be careful when you approach said animals. _

_Last but not least, we would like to remind you that we will not take responsibility for any injuries, maiming or deaths if you decide to open one of these doors. In short, you are on you own._

_From,_

_The Decimo family_

_P.S. Even if you do manage to find the door that does not lead you to an animal it doesn't mean you are safe.'_

As he read the signboard, Asari scratched his head and said, "Well, that certainly explains the leopard."

"So, which door should we choose?" Knuckle asked.

"This one, this one," the yellow bird chirped, sitting on a yellow door knob.

"Well then, let's try this door," Asari said before turning his attention to the bird. "By the way, do you have a name?"

"Hibird, Hibird," the bird answered, earning a laugh from Asari and a look of shock from Knuckle.

"I guess your name is Hibird," Asari said as he turned the yellow door knob.

They went inside another dark room. To their surprise, they saw a kangaroo with Sun Flames on its ears and boxing gloves on both of its hands. Well, at least it wasn't a carnivorous animal like the leopard, right? That was what Asari and Knuckle thought as the kangaroo approached them. It stopped a few feet away, eyeing the two with sharp eyes.

"How are you?" Knuckle asked nervously.

The kangaroo's answer?

An EXTERMELY solid punch on Knuckle's face.

"Knuckle!" Asari shouted worriedly before he, too, was punched by the kangaroo.

They hastily got up and backed away to assess the situation.

Asari and Knuckle could fight the animal, but they would be at a great disadvantage. First, they couldn't move freely. It'll be hard for them to dodge the kangaroo's punch with their legs the way they were. Second, only Knuckle knew about boxing. Asari will have hard time to keeping up with them. Considering their probabilities of success, the two Guardians decided to make a tactical retreat. After all, their priority was to visit Tsuna, not fighting a kangaroo. Of course, it was not without consequences. By the time they managed to get out from the room, they were covered with bruises and cuts. Luckily, Knuckle could heal their injuries with his Sun-attributed Flame.

"Maybe we should try another one," Knuckle suggested as he turned a blue door knob.

As they stepped into the room, Asari and Knuckle saw a dog and a swallow. They had Rain Flames on their heads. Both Guardians would have definitely said they were cute animals if only they didn't bite, peck, and claw them on the spot. Making yet another tactical retreat, Knuckle and Asari shut the door tightly. Their clothes were torn apart.

Breathing heavily, Knuckle asked, "Why on earth does the Decimo family keep such dangerous animals in their base?"

"I – I don't know either," Asari panted and pointed at the door with a green knob, "How about we try that door?"

The result?

A bull with Lightning Flames almost charged them to death.

Luckily, they managed to survive it. Next, they tried their luck at opening the door with an indigo door knob. They were almost scarred for life when they met a certain snow owl with Mist Flames covering its wings that kept chuckling 'kufufufu'. It reminded them greatly of a certain sadistic illusionist, and they did not want to stick around to find out if the owl could mess with their heads, too. They then chose to open a door with a purple door knob, and, needless to say, they were lucky not to be turned into pincushions by a Cloud Flamed hedgehog when it suddenly multiplied and expanded.

At last, only one door remained unopened. Knuckle and Asari looked at the door cautiously. Having experienced bad luck six times in a row already, they had become smart enough to think first before taking the initiative. Asari looked at Knuckle, silently asking for permission to open the door. Knuckle nodded slowly. As much as he hated to open the door, they needed to move forward; and unfortunately, the only way to move forward was by opening that door. Gripping the orange door knob, they tensed as it noisily squeaked open, only to see…

…nothing.

Asari and Knuckle sighed in relief. They had finally opened the right door. The door led them to another corridor. Without delay, they stepped into the corridor and…

_CRASH! _

…fell into a deep hole.

"What just happened?" Knuckle asked, trying to stand up.

"Ha ha ha, I guess we fell into a trap," Asari concluded.

They stopped their conversation when they heard footsteps. Moments later, Gokudera and Yamamoto appeared looking quite satisfied with the outcome of their contraption.

"Ha ha ha, it seems we've caught some intruders," Yamamoto grinned.

"Let us out from here," Knuckle demanded.

"Like the hell we're going to do that," Gokudera yelled before throwing a stick of dynamite into the hole.

Asari and Knuckle quickly distanced themselves from the dynamite, expecting it to explode. However, instead of exploding like they thought, smoke billowed out from one end of the dynamite, choking them. It was a sleeping gas. Before they knew it, they had already fallen unconscious.

"Ha ha ha, it was really a good idea to use our box animals to scare them away, Gokudera," Yamamoto said.

"Of course it's a good idea, baseball freak," Gokudera spoke.

"I guess you're right. I still can't believe Hibari let us borrow his box animal and Hibird," Yamamoto scratched his head before turning serious. "Mission of capturing Sun and Rain: Success."


	23. Chapter 23: Beware Of Food Poisoning

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N:First, as usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank her in your review for her work. Answering Bluelup28's question, I guess Hibari had his own reason. He liked to do random thing after all. As for Mukurowl, I think it's a natural for Mukuro to teach it his chuckle. After all, the owl was named after him. Anyway, review always make me happy.

Chapter 23: Beware Of Food Poisoning

Giotto tried to walk as best as he could while listening to G's grumbling every five minutes. It was really irritating. First, they woke up in a strange forest. Then, they found out they were cuffed to each other. To make things worse, the blueprint plan was completely useless. They couldn't find their way to Tsuna's room. As such, they have been circling around for fifteen minutes until they saw a signboard near a door.

'_Dear whoever has managed to come this far into the base,_

_We want to congratulate you for being able to reach here. We admit that we will be very surprised if you managed to come here without any injuries, considering the tendency of our visitors to get into trouble._

_In light of your achievement, we've decided to celebrate it with a befitting reward. This door will lead you to a dining room where you will find many delicious desserts. Please, don't be shy, and eat to your heart's content. _

_As usual, we would like to remind you that we will not take responsibility for any injuries, maiming, or deaths that occur within this base. _

_From, _

_The Decimo family._

_P.S. Food – especially cake – is always a good way to get through a man's heart. Try one. It'll be an unforgettable experience.'_

Giotto and G read the signboard before the blond turned to the redhead, giving him a 'Can I go there?' puppy look, hoping G will agree to his suggestion.

G quickly crushed the blond's hope with a firm answer. "No, we are not going in there."

"Please, G, didn't you read it? There're a lot of desserts, just waiting for us to devour them," Giotto pleaded.

"No, Giotto. For all we know, it might be a trap. And the last thing I want to happen is to fall into their trap," G yelled, clearly frustrated with the blond's obsession with sweets.

Unfortunately, Giotto didn't let the Guardian's words affect him. Determined to convince his friend, Giotto decided to use an informal tactic called 'gaining sympathy through fake tears'. Simply put, to use this tactic effectively, you must know how to fake your tears. It is suggested for the user to appear sad and innocent, like a puppy that's been kicked hard, and/or have an emotional story at your disposal while using said tactic.

Any combination of these will bring about guilt and sympathy, making it easier to manipulate people into following your will. It was also highly recommended for this tactic to be used by children since they possessed cute, adorable, innocent face that many adults didn't possessed. Many children had mastered this technique at a young age to coerce their parents into giving them what they want due to its effectiveness and efficiency.

"G, how could you say that? Do you know how long it's been since the last time I've tasted a delicious cake?" Giotto asked. A lone tear can be seen at the corner of his eyes.

"It was just three days ago…" G mumbled.

"But, it's like three_ years_ for me." Giotto stared hopefully at G. He then sighed sadly with a dejected look, wiping away his tear when the redhead didn't budge from his decision. "Okay, I get it now. Let's just continue our search..."

Now, it was G's turn to sigh. He felt like he was the bad guy right now – one that had kicked down an innocent puppy and left it to die. He raked his hairs, trying to think of a good solution to solve their situation until he found one. Giotto was very excited about the dessert, right? Why not make a good use out of it? The redhead smiled at the idea he managed to concoct.

"Well, I guess there is no harm in going there…" G tapped his chin as he pretended to be in deep thought, grabbing the blond's attention. "But only if you promise to do something."

"Okay, I promise I'll do anything that you ask," Giotto said offhandedly as he dragged G into the dining room, completely unaware of the smirk on his friend's face.

'_Oh, this is going to be fun. I can't wait to see Giotto's face when he figures out what he had just signed into,' _the redhead thought, highly amused.

As soon as they stepped into the dining room, the two paused, not believing their eyes. In front of them was a single long table decorated with an assortment of desserts. There were cakes, pies, tarts, chocolates, and many more, all carefully laid out in buffet style. It practically sparkled from where they stood.

Only one word could describe what Giotto felt right now.

_Heaven_.

He was in Heaven right now.

Without any delay, the blond quickly rushed to the table, dragging G along with him. He picked up a plate, wondering which dessert he should start with first.

'_Hmm, which one should I pick? Should I go with blueberry cheesecake that has delicious blueberry jam on top? Or, should I eat the fluffy, spongy, strawberry cake decorated with fresh strawberries and whipped cream? If not, then maybe Black Forest cake filled with black cherries and chocolate rice…?'_ Giotto thought, unable to make his decision. _'Arrghh, there're too many delicious cakes that I want to eat! …Well, we might as well eat them all. Tsuna's Guardians _are_ treating us for free, and it's not good to waste food, right?'_

Before Giotto knew it, his plate was full with different types of sweets. Ranging from apple pies to chiffon cake – just name it and you'll find it on the blond's plate. G could only gape as he smacked Giotto's head.

"Aww, what did you do that for?" Giotto asked, rubbing his head.

"That's for being an idiot," G growled. "You can't seriously want to eat those cakes."

"Huh? Why not?" Giotto blinked, clearly not understanding what his friend had said.

"Giotto, those cakes could be _poisoned_. What are you going to do if you start vomiting blood?" G argued.

"Oh, come on, G. I doubt Tsuna's Guardians would go as far as killing other people just because someone infiltrated their base," the blond reasoned.

G resisted the urge to bang his head on the wall. "Giotto, they're _Mafia_. We can't really be sure they're not going to kill us. Plus, you can't eat all those cakes. You'll get cavity."

"Come on, G. Just a little? Try one. I'm sure you'll like it," Giotto tried to convince G.

"No, I don't want–" Giotto shoved a piece of devil's food cake into his mouth.

G almost choked. At first, he wanted to spit out the cake. However, he changed his mind as the cake's tasty taste spread all over his mouth. G didn't know how to describe how it tasted. It was very…

…delicious.

"So, how does it taste?" Giotto asked expectantly.

"I need to taste another bite," G said, feigning a cough to hide his thoughts.

"How is it?" Giotto asked again as he watched G devour a spoonful of chocolate cake.

"I need to taste more before I make my decision," the redhead answered, spooning another piece of cake into his mouth.

Ten minutes later, a tick mark appeared on the blond's head. "For crying out loud, how many bites do you need before you can tell me whether the cake is tasty or not?"

"Err, one more bite?" G answered guiltily, averting his eyes while Giotto rolled his eyes.

"G, you've eaten one whole plate-full of cake. Don't tell me you still can't make up your mind," Giotto shouted.

"Oh, come on. At least, I didn't devour all of them at once," G defended himself.

"Yeah, right," Giotto muttered as he, too, started stuffing his stomach with cakes and desserts. He was about to grab a piece of Black Forest cake when G snatched it first. Giotto glared at the redhead. "G, give back my Black Forest cake."

"Nope, it's mine," G said, eating the cake without feeling any guilt.

"G, if you don't give it back, I'll–" Giotto didn't manage to finish his threat when all of the sudden G started to cough violently. Before Giotto could do anything, G collapsed on the floor. Foam can be seen coming from the redhead's mouth.

'_They wouldn't try to poison us through food, right?'_ Giotto thought worriedly, remembering G's speculation.

The blond's suspicion was confirmed when his vision unexpectedly became blurred. He felt very dizzy and his stomach ached greatly, forcing him to kneel on the floor. He started to regret not listening to his Storm Guardian's words. As Giotto lost consciousness, two figures came out from the shadows.

"I guess Bianchi-san was right. The key to winning a man is through their stomach," Chrome muttered.

"Lambo-san doesn't think that's what it's supposed to mean," Lambo sweat dropped.

Lambo could only pity Giotto and G. Who knew a cooking lesson could lead to the discovery of Chrome's talent in poison cooking art? As soon as Bianchi saw the girl's apparent gift, she immediately took Chrome in as her apprentice. Of course Tsuna objected it almost immediately. But, Reborn stomped any Tsuna's objection. Tsuna couldn't do anything except letting Chrome learning the poison cooking art. Chrome absorbed Bianchi's teachings at an alarming rate, and many people now hailed her as the incoming master of poison cooking.

The downside was Bianchi used them as a dummy practice for Chorme to practice. Needless to say, it was a miracle for them to survive. They had been sent to hospital numerous times. No one can actually blame Chrome. She did it without knowing it. Lambo didn't know what Bianchi told to Chrome, but to this date, Chrome's still thinking she's learning how to cook a normal food. Lambo shook his head, clearing his mind. They were in the middle of mission right now. Besides, it's not their fault. Giotto and G should know better than eating food served in enemy's territory.

"Mission of capturing Sky and Storm: Success," Chrome said quietly.


	24. Chapter 24: Let's Settle This In Court

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: First, I would like to thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing and improving my story. Don't forget to give her credit in your review. She played a good part in helping me writing this story. I'll be busy for awhile due to my study. So, update may not be as fast as you want. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 24: Let's Settle This In Court

Giotto stifled a groan as he opened his eyes. He blinked, trying to adjust them to the lights above. His stomach was still aching, but not as much as before. Silently, Giotto wondered how long he'd been unconscious. After a short struggle, he concluded that his captors had removed his mantle to tie up his hands and legs before tossing him on the ground. The Vongola boss quickly scanned his surroundings for some clues and was surprised to hear G shouting from behind, much to his delight.

"G, what's going on?" Giotto asked, grabbing the redhead's attention. It wasn't hard to imagine a seething look on his friend's face from the tone of his voice.

"Those brats captured all of us and won't let us go!" G bellowed.

"All of us? Does that mean…" Giotto's voice trailed off when he saw Knuckle and Asari tied up together in a position that mirrored his own. Their clothes were torn apart as if they had been clawed by dangerous animals. But, what surprised Giotto the most was Lampo, Alaude and Daemon's condition: They were hanging down from the ceiling in a net.

He blinked. "What happened to all of you?"

"Ha ha ha, we had a few unfortunate encounters with some animals. You should see them. They were using Dying Will Flames," Asari laughed while Knuckle nodded in agreement.

"Idiot, this is not the time to laugh," G shouted, to which Asari cheerfully apologized.

Giotto, on the other hand, was very confused. Since when did they keep animals in the mansion? His question was answered when he saw animals covered in flames standing near the Decimo family. A hedgehog sat on Hibari's right shoulder while a little yellow bird perched itself on his left. Yamamoto had a dog and a swallow by his side, with the latter resting on the former's head. Ryohei's arm was slung on a kangaroo's shoulder, while Gokudera was busy handling his cat. Lambo sat on the back of a large bull, and an owl can be seen sitting on Chrome's shoulder.

Giotto was speechless. Where did the Decimo family find all these animals? Better yet, how the hell did they managed to hide them without getting caught by Alaude? That question brought his train of thoughts back to the three Guardians' peculiar situation. He turned to the Cloud Guardian wanting to ask the question. However Alaude cut in, glaring at him menacingly. "Don't you dare say anything."

Giotto clamped his mouth shut. For some reason, Alaude and Daemon looked like they were going to beat him to death. He immediately knew why when Daemon opened his mouth.

"Nufufufu… When I get out from this net, I'm going to strangle you to death. Who in the right mind makes a rule to use rock-paper-scissor to determine the leader," Daemon hissed.

Giotto went pale. He remembered making that rule for fun as a form of revenge on his Guardians. Hoping that the rule would help him deal with paperwork and fangirl problems was a bonus; however, he never thought it would backfire on him. Nevertheless, Giotto was happy for their reunion. His Guardians were all safe and sound, though it still puzzled him how they got caught in the first place, especially his Cloud and Mist. The Vongola boss had a feeling it had something to do with Lampo, judging by how they were glaring at said Guardian. Unfortunately, Decimo's Storm couldn't care less about it.

He gave them a menacing look. "So, what were you doing—" However, before Gokudera could finish his words, he yelped in pain. "Uri, stop scratching me!"

This set off a chain of events. Uri's scratching caused Gokudera to fall backward, accidentally pushing Chrome. This caused Chrome's trident to fall with her, poking Lambo's forehead. The cow child responded by wailing at the top of his lungs. Mukuro, who was a bit protective of Chrome, didn't like how Gokudera had pushed the girl. He decided to teach Gokudera a lesson, forcing him to defend by throwing dynamite at the illusionist. Mukuro leisurely knocked away the dynamite with his trident.

Unfortunately, the dynamite flew at Hibari as it exploded. Needless to say, Hibari was pissed off when his clothes became dirty. He took out his tonfa and got ready to bite everyone to death. Seeing how the Decimo family was in chaos, Giotto took it as a chance to escape. He quickly burnt through the ropes that tied him up, and then proceeded to free his Guardians. The Decimo family didn't notice it at all until Primo's family stood in front of them with their respective weapons.

"Kufufufu… It seems our prisoners have managed to escape," Mukuro muttered.

"Wait! We didn't come here to fight. We just want to see Tsuna!" Giotto asserted, not liking where this was going.

"Tsk, I thought we made it clear that you're not going to see Juudaime," Gokudera scowled, "even more so now that you've tried to infiltrate our base."

Daemon scoffed at the notion. "Like this is really your base. We were only letting you borrow it," he muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Oya, oya, it seems someone is cranky after falling into a simple trap," Mukuro smirked, earning a glare from the other Mist Guardian.

"Don't think I've forgotten what you had done," Daemon scowled. Both of them got into their fighting stances.

But before they could reach the point of no return, Primo's Rain attempted to cool things down. "Ma, ma, calm down, everyone. Since our family is in disagreement with each other, why don't we ask someone to be a judge for our case?" Asari suggested.

"Who the hell uses a judge to solve familial conflicts?" Gokudera retorted, visibly irritated at the thought. "And all things considered, I doubt there's even a rule for something like this."

"Umm, actually, there is, Gokudera-san. Paragraph 132, Section 45, Subsection A of Vongola Mafia Rulebook states that whenever there is conflict between family members and the boss is not available or unable to solve it, the case will be brought to Mafia court where a judge will be selected to dissolve the conflict," Chrome recited the rule quietly.

Yamamoto scratched his head. "So, how are we going to choose a judge?"

"Idiot, don't just agree like that. Besides, who would agree to solve this problem by that method?" Gokudera argued.

"Tsuna would," Yamamoto replied quietly, causing everyone to become silent. "Besides, I'm sure Tsuna would want us to settle this in a peaceful way." The atmosphere suddenly became gloomy and depressing before Yamamoto broke it with his stupid grin and suggestion. "So, let's take this case to a judge!"

"Tsk, of course I know that. You don't need to say it," Gokudera muttered.

"Let's EXTREMELY bring this case to court," Ryohei roared.

"Kufufufu, I guess its okay. After all, it's been a long time since I've acted as a lawyer," Mukuro chuckled.

Hibari just grunted while Chrome and Lambo nodded. Primo's family felt relief and amazed at the same time. They were relieved to know the Decimo family was willing to settle this problem without involving violence, and amazed at how Yamamoto managed to calm down everyone. He was truly living up his position as Rain Guardian, one that washed away people's worries and diffused the tension. Asari couldn't help but to feel proud of his successor.

"As if you have a case against us," Daemon snorted. "You can't bring us to court without a case."

"Kufufufu, it seems someone has a bad memory. In case you've forgotten, you infiltrated our base when we had warned you not to come. That's more than enough to consider it a declaration of war," Mukuro said.

The tension in the room increased dramatically. Yamamoto took it as his cue to diffuse the tension before it was too late.

"Ma, ma, let's find a judge to handle this case. I'm sure everyone wants to settle it as fast as possible," Yamamoto said, trying to calm everyone down.

It worked a bit, especially when the cow child distracted them with Yamamoto's previous question.

"So, how're we going to choose a judge?"

Mukuro frowned. "Obviously we can't be the judge since we're the ones who brought up the case. And I definitely won't accept anyone from Primo's family either since they're the offenders in our case."

Everyone nodded at this statement, agreeing with Mukuro. After all, they don't want the judge to be biased in their decision.

"Why don't we refer to the Vongola Mafia Rulebook?" Lampo suggested, turning the book's pages.

"I don't want to refer to that book. For all we know, it's full with stupid and ridiculous rules," Daemon commented in an irritated tone while Alaude nodded in agreement.

"Daemon, don't be like that," Giotto chided. "I spend a lot of time making up those rules, you know."

"Nufufufu… So I guess using rock-paper-scissors to choose a leader is not a ridiculous rule?" Daemon asked eerily as a dark aura enveloped him.

"That – that's not what I meant. Sure, it's ridiculous, but it was effective right?" Giotto stammered, trying to save himself.

"It's still a ridiculous rule. For that, I'm going to kill you," Alaude said coldly, releasing his killing intent.

"W-wait, I'm sure we can discuss this peacefully…" Giotto held up his hands, trying to negotiate his way out of this mess as Daemon and Alaude were ready to lunge at him. Luckily, he was rescued by Lampo's triumphant shout.

"I found it!" Instantly, everyone turned to Lampo as he read the book. "Paragraph 132, Section 65, Subsection A of Vongola Mafia Rulebook states: _In the event where a boss cannot be the judge to solve a family conflict, the bickering parties will choose a person who they come across first as the judge for their case_."

As soon as Lampo finished reading the rule, the room's door suddenly opened, revealing a guy with red hair and ruby eyes. Oblivious to his surrounding, Shimon Cozart strode into the room.

"Hey, Giotto, Elena and I came to visit you," Cozart greeted but immediately started to sweat when he saw that everyone was staring at him. He asked nervously, "Errmm, why is everyone staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

Daemon narrowed his eyes. "Why are you with Elena?"

"Let it go, Daemon. I met Cozart on the way here. Since we were going the same way, we might as well come together," A blonde woman said as she entered the room. Elena then noticed there were strangers in the room and the tension high in the air. She politely greeted them, ignoring Daemon's jealous look. "Hello, everyone. I'm Elena and this is Shimon Cozart. Did we interrupt something?"

"Ha ha ha, not at all. You didn't interrupt anything at all. In fact, you just helped us solve our problem," Yamamoto grinned, earning a confused look from both Cozart and Elena.

"Hmm, I guess since we came across Cozart first and then Elena, that makes Cozart our judge," Gokudera muttered aloud.

"Huh? What you mean by that?" Cozart asked dumbly, a bit perplexed at the fact there were seven kids who eerily resembled Giotto's Guardians.

"It means you're going to be the judge for our case," Giotto answered.

For some reason, Cozart had a dreadful feeling. He didn't know if it was because Daemon was glaring at him and ready to kill him on the spot, or because of the attention he was receiving from everyone in the room. He had a feeling that he should run away from this place as fast as possible.

And, well, he should.

After all, he's going to judge the most scandalous case in Vongola history.

p.s. I have a conflicting idea regarding this court case. Should I let Primo or Decimo family win the case? Tell me what you think. It'll be better if you can give justification or argument regarding this decision. It may help me overcoming the writer block in my mind. Oh, btw, I think I want to pick three people from each family to act as a lawyer for their family. Any suggestions on it are welcomed. However, I can't guarantee I'll follow your suggestion but I will consider it.


	25. Chapter 25: Reborn Vs Paperwork

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to give her credit for her work in your review. I also want to thank all the suggestions you guys gave to me. It seemed many people wanted Tsuna to wake up. Don't worry, he will. Anyway, this chapter will be the prelude of the court case. As usual, reviews always make me happy and give inspiration.

Chapter 25: Reborn Vs. Paperwork

If you asked what kind of man (or baby) Reborn was, people would give you different answers.

To Tsuna, Reborn was a slave driver tutor sent from hell.

To Gokudera, Reborn was the greatest hitman in the world.

To Yamamoto, Reborn was a really amazing kid.

To Lambo, Reborn was a sadistic bastard that must be defeated at all cost.

To Hibari, Reborn was a carnivore that needed to be watched over.

To Mukuro and Chrome, Reborn was someone who can be more manipulative than them.

Yes, Reborn was the greatest hitman in the world. Everybody knew this fact as it was common knowledge in the Mafia world. People knew he could kill people with his eyes closed. He could accurately shoot people within 0.05 seconds. He could take on missions that have zero chance of survival, and still manage to come back alive to tell his tale. In short, you can say Reborn had a perfect record his entire life. But, this record will not stay long, because it will soon be shattered by…

…paperwork.

Yes, my dear reader. You read it correctly.

Paperwork.

Reborn's perfect record will be shattered by paperwork the moment he sets foot into Tsuna's office.

Now, why would Reborn bother himself with Tsuna's paperwork?

Usually, Reborn wouldn't bother with this at all. If this problem was presented in front of him, the first thing he would do was find Tsuna, drag him to his office, and point his gun at Tsuna's head as the boy signed the paperwork obediently. And, it always worked. Unfortunately, as much as Reborn wanted to use that tactic, he couldn't since his dame-student, Tsuna, and his Guardians were conveniently shot by a malfunctioning Ten Year Bazooka. So, right now, they were stuck in the past for who-knows-how-long.

Which left Reborn to take over Tsuna's duty as Vongola Decimo until he came back.

At first, when Reborn offered himself to take over Tsuna's responsibilities, he had imagined that he would only be signing a small stack of papers. He didn't really expect that he would be signing a whole _roomful_ of paperwork, or would be buried by said monstrosity as soon as Shoichi opened the office door. To make things worse, the paperwork mocked him by burying him not only once, but _twice_.

And if that wasn't enough, he still couldn't get rid of the damn paperwork even after spending a few days signing them nonstop. In fact, they kept breeding. The whole situation was starting to get on Reborn's nerves. Therefore, it was no surprise when he snapped on the fifth day after Tsuna was sent to the past.

"That's it!" Reborn shouted, slamming his tiny fists on the table. "I'm a hitman. And as a hitman, I refuse to spend my entire day signing paperwork!"

Reborn had always prided himself as someone who could handle anything. Unfortunately, paperwork was not one of them. And so, he decided it was time to get rid of the paperwork permanently without going through all the trouble of signing them. He quickly grabbed Leon who turned into a flamethrower.

"Today will be the last day you exist, stupid paperwork," Reborn smirked as he pointed the flamethrower at said papers.

The hitman laughed like a mad man as a jet of fire came out from the flamethrower. He watched with satisfaction as the flames engulfed the cursed papers. However, his satisfaction didn't last long as the smoke cleared to reveal…

…all the paperwork intact and without any burn marks.

Reborn stared at the paperwork with narrowed eyes. How could this happen? The flamethrower was strong enough to melt even the hardest metals in the world. So, why didn't it burn away the paperwork? The hitman raked his mind. Reborn, being Reborn, didn't like being unable to figure out the problem before him. Luckily, help came in the form of Shoichi and Spanner.

"Reborn-san, we have another stack of papers for you to sign," Shoichi called out as he and Spanner came in before Reborn suddenly turned his gun on the two unsuspecting technicians. Shoichi shuttered, "Re-Reborn-san, why are you pointing your gun at us?"

"Explain why I can't burn away the damn paperwork," Reborn growled.

Spanner shifted the wrench-shaped lollipop in his mouth. "Oh. That's simple. The paperwork is made from paper than can withstand almost anything, from fire, water, to even bombs," he explained.

Reborn narrowed his eyes. "And who's the idiot who came up with the bright idea to make them resistant to almost anything?"

"You did," Spanner replied as the hitman blinked, trying to absorb the information.

Reborn gripped his fedora as he remembered the reason why he did that. To avoid Dame-Tsuna from ditching his work by burning or destroying them through any means. The Sun Acrobaleno was starting to regret making that decision. Sure, it was fun to enforce it on other people. But, it was definitely no fun when you yourself had to deal it. As if to mock Reborn, another landslide of paperwork happened, burying Reborn again.

"Reborn-san, are you okay?" Shoichi asked worriedly, trying to dig the infant hitman out from the mass of white.

Reborn scowled as he finally managed to get free. Unfortunately, today was not Reborn's day. The commotion shook the nearest bookshelf which caused a thick, heavy book to fall on his head. Reborn was about to hurl the book at the wall until he saw it's title.

_Vongola's History: 8 Crazy Moments That Will Leave You Laughing, Crying and/or Outright Speechless._

Reborn raised his eyebrows at this. His gut feeling as a hitman told him that he would find something interesting inside the book. Without delay, he flipped to a random page and started scanning through it.

Shoichi and Spanner both backed away a few steps as they saw a change in the hitman's expression. His infamous smirk had returned, and it was getting wider and wider with every flip of the page. They silently prayed that Reborn had not snapped and become crazy.

"Read page 720," Reborn ordered, tossing the book at Shoichi which he caught clumsily. He looked to Spanner who shrugged in reply.

The technician raised his eyebrows. "Primo Case?" Reborn nodded, gesturing him to continue reading. "With a Mafia history dating back 400 years, the Vongola was no stranger to surprises and craziness. In fact, some might say it's become a norm in the Famiglia. But, even then there were some situations that would be deemed utterly impossible if they weren't in the records.

"Ranking sixth in our top 8 crazy moments is the Primo Case, often referred to as 'the most scandalous court case in Vongola history.' This case was considered as scandalous case since it was the first time the Vongola internal affairs related case had been judge by someone from outside the Vongola Famiglia. Not to mention, someone from Vongola dared to bring Primo and his Guardians to court which had _never _happened before. To better understanding this case, it would be wise to know the circumstances that led to such an event. It all started when…"

* * *

><p>"So, Giotto made a wish on a shooting star to meet the future generation of Vongola, and by some miracle, his wish was granted. But then, you guys felt that they were not suitable enough to be your successors after an outing day in town. That led to a diplomatic meeting between the two generations where you all decided to use the party preparations as a way to get to know them better. Did I get it right?" Cozart asked as Primo's family nodded in agreement.<p>

Cozart then continued, "Unfortunately, Giotto and his successor, Tsuna, got ambushed by some random enemies when they were running away from fangirls. The enemy's leader tried to shoot Giotto while he was distracted, causing Tsuna to jump in front of Giotto and be shot six times." Giotto winced at this part while the Decimo family was glaring daggers at said boss. "Luckily, Tsuna survived from his wounds but he was still unconscious.

"The Decimo family didn't like how their boss got hurt because of Giotto and forbade all of you from visiting him. In addition to this, they took over the west wing of this mansion as compensation for their boss' injury, turned it into their base and declared it as their territory. But, Giotto wanted to visit Tsuna so badly that he proposed an infiltration mission that ended almost immediately when you guys got caught in their traps," Cozart said, ignoring snickers and smug looks from the Decimo family as well as the indignant looks from Primo's family.

"And now, they want to bring you to court because of your infiltration on their base. Did I summarize everything well?" Cozart asked, earning a nod from everyone.

"You've summarized everything perfectly," Giotto nodded.

"But, don't you think this is a bit too farfetched? I mean… come on… _time travelling_? That's ridiculous! Besides, you can't really believe that—" Cozart argued, gesturing his hand at the Decimo family, "—these kids are your successors? They're too young."

"I know how you feel, Cozart. But, it's true," Giotto sighed before turning serious. "So, will you be the judge for our case?"

Cozart could only rake his red hair. This was crazy. How on earth could his best friend take it as if it was a normal occurrence? For crying out loud, it's insane! Maybe he should take the blond to a mental hospital instead. Surely, the doctors there would know how to fix Giotto. But, the blond didn't seem to be joking. Might as well believe him. It's not like Giotto has ever lied to him before.

"Are you really sure that you want an outsider like me to judge your case?" Cozart asked.

"Cozart, that's nonsense. You're not an outsider. The Vongola and Shimon have been friends for long time. I doubt anyone will make a fuss out of it," Giotto insisted.

"Well, I would," Daemon muttered, earning a glare from Giotto.

"The point is we want you to become our judge. Just ignore Daemon," Giotto said.

"Okay, fine then," Cozart sighed in resignation. "All of you are serious about this?" Cozart asked, earning a nod from everyone. "If you are, send a representative from your family to formally declare that you agree to settle this case through litigation and choose me as your judge in front of everyone. The one who wishes to bring up this case will declare first."

It was true that Mafia was ruthless and violent. But, they had their own code of honor, too. Everyone knew that to ask someone to be a judge, there were formalities that needed to be followed like what Cozart had asked them to do. This will avoid questions against the judge's authority since it had been publicly announced.

Gokudera stepped forward. Since Tsuna was out of commission, it was his responsibility to take over his boss's place as leader. After all, Gokudera _was_ Tsuna's right hand man. He said aloud for everyone to hear, "I, Gokudera Hayato, Vongola Decimo's right hand man, representing the tenth generation of Vongola, wish to bring up a case against the first generation of Vongola for infiltrating our base to the court. We agree to accept Shimon Cozart, the boss of Shimon Famiglia, as the judge of our case."

If the first generation was surprised by Gokudera's professionalism, they definitely did a good job in hiding it. It made G and Giotto wonder if the maturity that Gokudera had shown before was not a fluke or spur of the moment. Giotto was shaken out of his thought when Cozart gestured him to come forward.

Giotto mimicked Gokudera's action. He said aloud, "I, Giotto, Vongola Primo, the boss of the first generation of Vongola, representing the first generation of Vongola, agree to settle this case in the court. We agree to accept Shimon Cozart, the boss of Shimon Famiglia, as the judge of our case."

Cozart nodded, satisfied with their declaration. He then made an announcement. "I, Shimon Cozart, agree to judge your case. The proceeding will be done according to Mafia code of conduct. Any break on such code will be punished accordingly. The proceeding will start at eight in the morning tomorrow sharp."

Both families nodded and retreated to their own base. After all, they needed to come up with a strategy to win the case…


	26. Chapter 26: Order In The Court

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: As usual, I thank and give my credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Please don't forget to thank her for her work in your review. Ah, I can't belive it's already Chapter 26. Right now, I can officially say this story is the longest story I've wrote and the most review I have. Anyway, review always make me happy.

Chapter 26: Order In The Court

_BUMP! BUMP!_

Cozart slammed the gravel on the judge's bench and spoke with great authority. "The court will now begin its session. Those who will be acting as lawyer for their respective families, please take your seat. Those who will not be acting as lawyer; you may sit behind them in the seats reserved for the audience." Cozart then looked at Giotto. "Giotto, please take your place at the accused stand since the Decimo family had named you as the main offender for their case."

Everyone nodded and took their respective places quietly. Well, everyone except for G. He clearly didn't enjoy seeing his childhood friend be treated like a criminal when he knew Giotto didn't really do anything wrong. It took everything the blond had to stop G from putting a bullet in Cozart's head.

"G, stop it. Cozart is just doing his job. You can't blame him for that," Giotto reprimanded.

"But, Giotto, you're not guilty. They shouldn't be treating you like this," the redhead protested.

Giotto sighed. "Come on, G. it's not like they put me in a jail and left me there to starve. Everything will be fine after we clear everything up in court." Giotto stared at G seriously. "And for that to happen, I need you to think of a way to win the case and not create trouble that can get us kicked out."

"If you say so," G muttered resignedly, earning a nod of approval from Giotto.

With that, the Primo family sat at the table to the left of the judge's bench. Alaude, G and Lampo took their places as lawyers since they had been chosen to represent their family for this case. Alaude had nominated and approved himself as the head of the Primo family's lawyers, much to the annoyance of G. Nobody said anything about it since, out of all of them, Alaude had the most experience and knowledge in dealing with court cases. Not to mention, he really didn't accept a 'no' for his suggestion. The swollen cheek and eyes on Lampo's face was more than enough to prove that.

On the opposite side, the Decimo family can be seen sitting together with the exception of Hibari who stood several meters from them. They had chosen Mukuro, Ryohei and Gokudera to act as their lawyers. As the head of Decimo family's lawyers, Mukuro sat in the first seat, Ryohei on the middle seat, and Gokudera on the last seat, grumbling about not being the head of lawyers. Everyone else sat behind them in the audience except for Chrome. Chrome sat beside Mukuro, which did not go unnoticed by the Primo family and their judge.

"Decimo family, you can only send three people to act as lawyer for your family. Kindly remove a person from the prosecution table," requested Cozart.

"Kufufufu, it's true that only three people can act as lawyer for their respective family. But, unfortunately, my dear Chrome is not one of the lawyers," Mukuro answered smoothly, gesturing his hand at Chrome. "She is my assistant. And if I'm not mistaken, Paragraph 78, Part B, Section 15 of Vongola Mafia Rulebook allows a lawyer to bring along his or her assistant to a court's hearing. Although the assistant is technically not a lawyer, he or she can sit beside the said lawyer provided the said lawyer chooses to allow it."

Cozart nodded, accepting Mukuro's reasoning. "Very well, I will allow your assistant to sit beside you as long as she doesn't act beyond her capacity as an assistant." Cozart then turned his attention to everyone in the room. "We have gathered here today because the Decimo family has brought up a case against the Primo family for trying to infiltrate their base. Is that true, Decimo family?"

"Correct, Your Honor," Mukuro said. "In fact, we would like to request a restraining order on the Primo family from coming near our base and boss."

"Do you have anything to say about this accusation, Primo family?" Cozart looked to Alaude who stood up as their representative.

"We would like to make a plea in this case. In our opinion, the Decimo family had overreacted to the situation. And while it is true we had tried to infiltrate their base, we had our own reasons for taking that course of action. There is no need to request a restraining order from the court," Alaude stated firmly. No point in hiding it, especially when they were caught red-handed.

"Tsk, we don't care about your reasoning. We still won't let you come close to our base," Gokudera scowled.

"Even so, we would like the court to hear our reasoning first before making a verdict," Alaude said calmly, glaring at Gokudera.

"Kufufufu… If you say so, then you wouldn't mind if I called upon the accused, Vongola Primo, to give his testimony in front of everyone?" Mukuro smirked.

Alaude narrowed his eyes at Mukuro's challenge. He knew what type of lawyer the Mist Guardian was. Lawyers of his nature were experts at manipulating and twisting the case's facts according to their needs and wants. They could make the innocent look guilty and the guilty look innocent. Needless to say, Alaude hated this type of lawyer. Giotto needed to be careful around Mukuro.

"Your Honor, may I call upon Vongola Primo to answer my questions in front of the court?" Mukuro asked.

"Permission is granted," Cozart replied.

Mukuro walked leisurely up to Primo. He stopped in front of the man, a smirk adorned on his face. Giotto's hyper intuition started to go haywire. Something told him he needed to brace himself against whatever Mukuro's going to throw at him.

"Primo, is it true that you suggested our boss, Tsunayoshi, to come with you into town?" Mukuro asked.

"Correct," Giotto said firmly. "I had asked him to come with me to buy wine for the incoming party."

"Could you tell us what happened while you were in town?" Mukuro requested.

"Like I said before, we went into town to buy some wine for the party. But, after that, we were chased around by fangirls. Tsuna and I ran away; though by the time we shook them off, we were already outside the town borders," Giotto answered, trying to suppress his shudder.

"What happened after that?" Mukuro's eyes glinted mischievously, setting off alarms in both Giotto and Alaude.

"Well, we were ambushed by enemies. They tried to split us apart by attacking us separately and keeping us from helping each other. When I knocked out the last attacker, I suddenly heard Tsuna shout out in alarm and had turned around to see the enemy's boss shoot in my direction. I braced myself for the shot, but before I knew it, Tsuna had taken the shots for me," Giotto said in a depressed tone, keeping his head down to avoid the Decimo family's piercing glare.

"So, let me get this straight," Mukuro tapped his chin, pretending to be thinking deeply before narrowing his eyes. "You just stood there like an idiot, waiting for your enemy to put a bullet in your head without doing anything else while Tsunayoshi was shot. Is that correct?"

Murmurs can be heard from the Decimo family. They were glaring daggers at Giotto. Giotto wanted to say something to defend himself but G beat him to it.

"Objection, Your Honor!" G stood up abruptly, slamming his hands on table. "I object Mukuro's question towards Primo. I don't see how his question is related to our case!"

"Kufufufu… I beg your pardon, G, but this question _is_ related to our case," Mukuro argued before turning to Cozart. "I can prove it, Your Honor."

"Please continue," said Cozart, gesturing Mukuro to continue.

"But, Your Honor, he's trying to stain Primo's reputation by asking an irrelevant question," G protested.

Cozart looked at the redhead seriously. "G, the court is in session right now. Please control your anger. You wouldn't want to be thrown out from this chamber right?"

Alaude harshly pulled G down on his seat. There was no need for the Storm Guardian to portray them as barbaric people. Mukuro, on the other hand, smirked silently. Who knew G was the impulsive lawyer type? These sorts of lawyers tended to be aggressive when trying to prove their points. They won't stop at nothing until they've brought the culprit to justice. At the same time, their nature is what makes it so easy to manipulate them. Just rile the lawyer up and you can make them look like the bad guy in court when they lose their temper.

"Primo, why did you decide to infiltrate our base?" Mukuro asked, ignoring the commotion started by G.

"Because I was worried about Tsuna and wanted to visit him," Giotto answered.

"And why did you want to visit Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro pressed.

"Because he was injured badly. I wanted to see to see if he was okay," Giotto sadly replied.

"How did Tsunayoshi get injured?" Mukuro asked.

"He was shot by six bullets," Giotto said guiltily.

"And whose fault was that?" Mukuro sneered, earning a nod from Decimo family.

"Objection, Your Honor!" G protested loudly before Giotto could answer. "That question is a leading question. You can't allow such questions to be asked in the court."

Mukuro glared at G, a bit irritated to be interrupted by the redhead. "I can assure you, Your Honor, it was not a leading question. I am only asking him to clarify my point."

Before G could shout something foolish, Alaude harshly pulled down G again. He narrowed his eyes at G, unleashing his killing intent on the Storm Guardian. "If you don't stop this foolish act, I will relieve you from your position as lawyer. You're making us look like idiots."

"Please continue, Mukuro," Cozart instructed, ignoring Alaude and G. "What point are you trying to make?"

"My point is the Primo family should not be allowed to go into our base and visit our boss. It was obvious that Primo's carelessness had caused our boss's grave injuries. As the Decimo's Guardians, we have the right to stop them from seeing our boss," Mukuro announced.

"Objection, Your Honor! That's a baseless accusation. Mukuro didn't have anything to prove his accusation," G shouted.

Everyone groaned and shouted, "G, stop making objections!"

"Seriously, how are we going to continue our proceeding if you keep making objections," Gokudera muttered.

"Ma, ma, calm down, G. You should let Mukuro finish first before making objections," Asari advised.

"It's EXTREMELY impolite to interrupt when people talk," Ryohei shouted.

"For making that stupid objection, I'm going to bite you to death," Hibari hissed, pulling out his tonfa.

Before things got worse, Cozart slammed the gravel several times while shouting, "Order in the court! Order in the court!" That calmed down everyone a bit. Cozart turned to G. "G, this is the last warning. If you make one more unnecessary objection, I will throw you out from this court." The red-haired judge then looked at Mukuro. "Do you have evidence to back up your accusation?"

"Certainly, Your Honor," Mukuro said, turning to Chrome. "Chrome, please show them the scenes."

Chrome nodded as she got up, walking to a nearby wall. Everyone watched Chrome with great curiosity as she brought out her trident and tapped the wall with it. Instantly, mist started to cover the wall, showing a blurred image. As the image became clearer, the Primo family suddenly had a dreadful feeling.


	27. Chapter 27: Witness With Few Words

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: As usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to give her credit for her work in your review. To A Natsume Yuujinchou lover, yes, we did research on court. Answering sunstar13's question, I originally decide to use video to show the evidence. Unfortunately, video don't exist 400 years ago. So, we'll make do with illusion for now. Oh, btw, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 27: Witness With Few Words

Giotto didn't know why but his hyper intuition kept telling him to stop whatever Mukuro was going to show. He had a feeling that it will embarrass everyone in his family. Unfortunately, he didn't have any valid reason to stop the Mist Guardian's actions.

Mukuro spoke, grabbing everyone's attention, "Please look at these clips and I promise you will see why it would be unwise to allow Primo's family near our boss."

Everyone turned their heads to the misty wall with great curiosity. What's Mukuro going to show them? The Primo family was shocked when they watched the scenes play out on the wall, showing their conversation in front of the Decimo family's base entrance. As realization sunk in their heads, the dreadful feeling from before came back ten-fold, especially for a few of the Guardians. If the Decimo family had been spying on them since _before_ they infiltrated their base, what else might they know?

Cozart coughed. "Mukuro, what are you trying to show to us?"

The Mist Guardian just smiled and answered innocently, "Primo family's incompetency." Protests and shouting can be heard from Primo's family but Mukuro ignored them. "Watch this scene."

The image on the wall instantly changed to reveal Daemon, Alaude and Lampo in a graveyard. It showed how said Guardians woke up in the graveyard to how they were captured. As the entire Decimo family snickered throughout the playback, the rest of Primo's family kept silent as they didn't know how to respond. Cozart, on the other hand, tried as best as he could to stop himself from laughing out loud, while Elena giggled, namely at the antics of her supposed ex.

"So that's why you guys were hanging on the ceiling," Giotto mused out loud, but immediately shut his mouth when Daemon and Alaude sent a glare at him.

Then, the wall showed another scene, but this time of Asari and Knuckle. Giotto winced in sympathy as he saw how those cute, little animals almost killed them. But, it was nothing to be compared to when it was finally his and G's turn. All of his Guardians, plus Cozart and Elena, stared at the two in disbelief while G simply looked down in shame.

"Seriously, you guys got caught because of cake?" Lampo asked incredulously, looking at G and Giotto. "I can't believe you fell for such a simple trap."

"Shut up. Like you have the right to say something like that. You fell into a simple trap, too," G growled.

"Nufufufu… I always knew your obsession with cake would be your downfall," Daemon spoke, "but I never thought it would be so soon."

Cozart faked a cough and slammed his gravel twice. "Can we continue with our proceeding?"

Everyone fell silent and nodded. Mukuro took it as a cue for him to continue his debate. He turned to Cozart and said aloud for everyone to hear. "Your Honor, as I showed in the scenes before, Primo's family—especially their boss—is very careless and incompetent. Look at those scenes. Look at how easy it was for them to fall into such simple traps even after we put up signboards to warn them about it. If this is not enough to be counted as proof of their carelessness, I don't know what to say anymore."

Once again, murmurs of anger from Primo's family can be heard, but they were quickly quieted by Cozart's gravel. Cozart turned to the Mist Guardian and asked, "Is that all, Mukuro?"

"At this moment," Mukuro paused before continuing. "Yes, Your Honor."

With that, Mukuro went to his seat with a triumphant smirk. He gave a 'beat that now' look to Alaude. Needless to say, the Cloud Guardian was seething. He would not be defeated by this pineapple head. He stood up from his seat and looked to Cozart.

"Your Honor, may I question the accused?"

"Certainly," Cozart nodded.

"Primo, you decided to infiltrate the Decimo family's base because you wanted to visit Tsuna. Is that correct?" Alaude asked.

Giotto nodded. "Yes, that is correct."

"Why didn't you ask permission from the Decimo family to visit Tsuna?" Alaude questioned. "It would have saved you a lot of trouble."

"I did try to talk them into it," Giotto mumbled. "I even wrote letters and sent gifts as peace offerings. Unfortunately, they didn't accept my apology."

"When that didn't work, what did you do next?" Alaude gestured Giotto to speak.

"I sent my representatives to visit Tsuna on my behalf since the Decimo family wouldn't allow me to come near their base. But, that didn't work either. You could say all of my men are currently spending some time in the infirmary room for their efforts," Giotto explained.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Alaude turned to Cozart. "Your Honor, I would like to call upon the Decimo family's head of security, Hibari Kyouya."

"Permission is granted," Cozart nodded. He looked at said Cloud Guardian. "Hibari, please take your place at the witness stand."

Hibari simply grunted in reply as he marched his way across the room. Mukuro narrowed his eyes at Alaude. If Primo's Cloud Guardian was anything like Hibari, it was safe to assume that Alaude was a tactical lawyer type – the worst opponent for manipulative type lawyers like him. Tactical lawyers always made sure that they had enough solid evidence to back their arguments before going to court. They would dig into _everything_ just to find a speck of clue for their case, no matter how ridiculous the clue might be. This could be a problem for them.

"Hibari Kyouya, did the Decimo family receive any guests within two days ago?" Alaude asked.

"Hn," Hibari grunted, giving a 'What kind of idiot question are you asking?' glare at Alaude.

Alaude returned it with a 'Just answer the damn question' annoyed look.

Hibari gave Alaude a 'Fine. We received your so-called representatives' affirmative grunt.

Alaude didn't back down. He sent a 'Did you welcome them?' questioning look at Hibari.

Hibari answered the unvoiced question with 'Of course I didn't welcome them. Why the hell do you think your so-called representative always ended up in the infirmary room?' annoyed glare.

Alaude narrowed his eyes, subconsciously releasing his killing intent that practically screamed 'Why the hell did you do that? Did you even ask why they were there? Do you know how many men you had injured?'

Hibari crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes and releasing his own killing intent that practically screamed 'It's not my fault. Those herbivores were crowding and being noisy.'

Alaude gave a 'You little brat, do you know how much paperwork I needed to do because of you?' menacing glare.

Hibari's reply was a 'Sucks to be you, old man' glower before turning into a 'By the way, did you manage to find a girlfriend for yourself?' smirk.

Alaude's eyebrows were twitching. He gave a 'It's none your damn business, brat' piercing glare.

It took every ounce of Alaude's willpower not to beat Hibari on the spot to wipe out the 'So, you haven't found one yet' smug look on his face.

Laughs and snickers can be heard from both the Primo and Decimo family. It was rare to see Alaude being beat by anyone in his glaring contests.

"Nufufufu… It seems that the great Alaude has been defeated in his own game," Daemon smirked.

"Don't worry, Alaude-san. I'm sure you will find one someday," Chrome giggled, trying to comfort the Guardian.

"That's right, Alaude. If you want, we can EXTREMELY help you," Knuckle roared.

"You can EXTREMELY count on us, too," Ryohei shouted, punching the air.

"Yare, yare, I won't care about it as long as you don't drag me into the mess," Lampo yawned.

Cozart, on the other hand, didn't understand what had just happened. One moment Alaude was questioning Hibari. After that, both of them stood still, glaring at each other like they were going to kill the other. Then, the next thing he knew everyone was laughing.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Cozart asked to no one in particular.

"Oh, it's nothing, Your Honor. Hibari-san was just making fun out of Alaude-san for not having a girlfriend," Chrome answered.

"Huh? When did he do that?" He was confused since he could have sworn that both Cloud Guardians didn't utter a single word for the last five minutes before everyone started laughing.

"When they were glaring at each other," Chrome answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Wait a minute, are you saying you could understand what they were saying through their glares?" Cozart asked in disbelief.

This time it was Yamamoto who answered. "Ha ha ha, it's not very hard. You can tell what they are thinking by paying attention to their facial expressions." He thought for a moment before adding, "Which actually a bit tough. It took us two years to understand Hibari through his facial expressions, and even then it was still hard to read. So far, the only person who can do it effortlessly is Tsuna."

"That's EXTREMELY right," Ryohei shouted.

"But, that still doesn't explain how you understood Alaude," Cozart spoke.

"Tsk, it's not that hard. Those two have similar personalities. That and spending time around stoic people do wonders to your people reading abilities," Gokudera added, earning a glare from both Cloud Guardians.

"Urmm, okay…" Cozart still felt unsure but decided to go along with it. "Anyway, can someone tell me what Alaude and Hibari were talking about through their glares?"

"Ha ha ha, I can," Asari raised his hand before explaining everything to Cozart.

Cozart raised his eyebrows at the explanation. "So you guys can understand it too?"

G scoffed. "Of course we understand them. Besides, it's not like we just got to know each other yesterday – we've gone through a lot of things together, after all."

Cozart just nodded before asking out of curiosity, "So, does Alaude have a girlfriend?"

Giotto decided it was a good time to intervene them right now. Alaude looked like he was going to murder all of them on the spot. Giotto didn't want to lose the case because his Cloud Guardian couldn't control his temper.

"Umm, I don't mean to sound rude, but don't we have a trial to finish?" Giotto asked nervously.

"Kufufufu… As much as I hate it, Primo is right. We can always tease him at another time," Mukuro chuckled, ignoring Alaude's murderous look.

Cozart nodded in agreement. "Alaude, you can continue now."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Alaude said before bringing out a stash of papers and giving them to Elena. After checking and reading through them, she gave the papers to Cozart. Alaude spoke as he read the papers, "Your Honor, the documents you have right now are the list of representatives that were sent on peace diplomatic missions to the Decimo family's base."

"Twenty five people in two days? And all of them ended up in the infirmary room?" Cozart raised his eyebrows as the Cloud Guardian nodded.

"Yes, and all of them had been beaten without a chance to voice their explanation," Alaude added.

"Is that true, Hibari?" Cozart questioned.

"They were crowding. I don't see a reason to listen to their reason," Hibari said.

Alaude took it as a chance to justify Primo's action. "Your Honor, the accused should not be blamed for this crime. He had used every diplomatic channel to communicate with the Decimo family. That and the fact that they violently hurt Primo's representatives warranted Primo to infiltrate their base. After all, it's only natural for a boss to know why his subordinates were beaten so violently. Not to mention, as Tsuna's predecessor, he should not be prohibited from visiting Vongola Decimo."

"Is that all, Alaude?" Cozart asked, earning a nod from said Guardian. He then turned to Hibari, "You may return to your seat."

"It's EXTREMELY my turn now," Ryohei roared as soon as Hibari took his seat. "I EXTREMELY call upon Knuckle to give his testimony."

Everyone winced at the loud volume and silently prayed that they didn't become deaf by the end of this court trial. Knuckle took his place at the witness stand. He was very nervous. He tried to calm himself down.

"I EXTREMELY have something to ask you," Ryohei spoke with a serious face.

"Bring it on. I'll EXTREMELY answer it," Knuckle replied in an equally loud volume, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Then, EXTREMELY prepare yourself," Ryohei said gravely, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as though thinking deeply.

One minute.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

Everyone was getting restless. Ryohei had been in his thinking pose for five minutes without making a noise – something that _never _happened before.

Cozart coughed and tried to act casually. "You can ask your questions now, Ryohei."

Ryohei's eyes snapped opened, "But, I EXTREMELY need some time to think."

"Urrm, why is that?" Cozart asked hesitantly.

Ryohei thought for another moment before answering, "I've EXTREMELY forgotten what to ask."

Everyone face palmed at the boxer's declaration. Cozart wanted to bang his head on the table. Unfortunately, he had an appearance he needed to keep up. He just hoped he could remain sane by the end of this trial.


	28. Chapter 28: Say Hello To Dame Tsuna

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: First, I would like to thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank her for her work in your review. Oh, yeah, happy new year everyone. When I looked at the reviews, I can't help but wonder why everyone so eagerly wanted me to wake up Tsuna. So, I looked back at my previous chapters and, OMG did I really keep Tsuna from waking up for 10 chapters? Anyway, hopefully this chapter can remedy that problem. Oh, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 28: Say Hello To Dame Tsuna

Shoichi closed the book. He looked at Reborn with a serious expression. "Reborn-san, we need to do something about this."

"It's still a speculation, Shoichi. No one knows for sure if the book really told us about Dame-Tsuna and his Guardians' adventures in the past," Reborn retorted, covering his calculating eyes with his fedora. "Further investigation needs to be done."

"I don't really think we need to do a lot of investigating on this one," Spanner said, flipping through the pages. "I mean, it's obviously them. Like the eighth ranked crazy moment, _The Legendary Demon Fight_: It's obvious the kid who fought along with Primo's Cloud Guardian was Hibari Kyouya. After all, who else looks similar to Alaude-san and fights with tonfa? With their strength and skills, I wouldn't be surprised if they actually set the fastest and most violent fight ever seen in Mafia history."

"Yeah, and don't forget the seventh craziest moment, _Princess Daemon_. The one where Primo's Mist Guardian, Daemon, walked around town wearing a fluffy, frilly, pink gown with a crown adorned on his head. You can't deny it had nothing to do with Sawada-san's Mist Guardians. Only Mukuro is sadistic enough to cast such humiliating illusions on other people. And, it's not that hard to figure out where he got the idea to make that illusion from," Shoichi added, supporting his friend's logic.

Reborn merely smirked at their concern. "Perhaps you're right. Perhaps you're wrong."

"But, shouldn't we at least warn Sawada-san and the others?" Shoichi argued.

The infant chuckled eerily. "Now, it wouldn't be fun if you do that. After all, this is the perfect way to get revenge on him." Then, he suddenly looked murderous. "Now, can someone explains to me," Reborn said calmly before snapping, "HOW THE HELL I GOT STUCK IN THIS CHAIR!"

Shoichi and Spanner glanced at each other nervously, contemplating the risk of telling Reborn about it. After a moment of silence, Shoichi opened his mouth, trying as hard as he could not to shutter. "Err, well, that's a security system. It prevents you from leaving the room by sticking you on the chair."

Reborn narrowed his eyes. "For what?"

"Well, you remember how Sawada-san often ditches his paperwork?" Shoichi asked nervously. Reborn snorted at this. That was really an understatement. Tsuna practically tried to ditch them _every single moment_ he could get. Shoichi continued, "You could say this system is designed for Sawada-san. It prevents anyone from leaving this chair until they finish the paperwork."

Reborn gritted his teeth. "So, I'm not getting out from this chair until I finish the paperwork."

"That's right," Shoichi confirmed.

"And who the hell was stupid enough to order you to design this stupid system?" Reborn asked dangerously.

"You did," Spanner answered.

The infant blinked for a moment before seething in anger. He didn't know if he should be angry at those technicians for following his order, or if he should be angry at himself for making the stupid order in the first place. He seriously needed to make sure his plans wouldn't backfire on him in the future. But, at the moment, he needed to…

"Whatever. Get me out from this chair right now," Reborn half muttered, half demanded.

Spanner was about to say something but his friend cut in. "Actually, we can't, Reborn-san – you told us to make the effect permanent until they've completed the paperwork." Shoichi fixed his glasses before adding. "There's no other way to get out from it."

Reborn cussed in five different languages that can be heard throughout the Vongola Mansion. Needless to say, Shoichi and Spanner took it as a cue to make a tactical retreat. They silently got out from the room while Reborn was too busy swearing, mostly at his dame-student. There was a moment of silence between the two technicians as they walked to their workshop.

"Why did you lie to him about the emergency stop button?" Spanner asked curiously. "He could have used it to get out from the chair."

"And let him dump all that paperwork on us after he escapes?" Shoichi raised his eyebrows before shaking his head. "I'm not going to let that happen. Besides, someone needs to do the paperwork. It's better him than us."

Spanner popped another lollipop into his mouth. "True. But, don't you think this is a bit too cruel? He looked like he was going to lose his sanity."

"Is it really _that_ cruel?" Shoichi muttered, asking more to himself than to Spanner.

There was a brief silence before both technicians chorused, "Naahhh!"

"I'm sure Reborn-san can handle a couple stacks of paperwork," Shoichi said.

Spanner nodded in agreement. "He's the greatest hitman in the world, after all – a few papers won't get him killed or drive him crazy."

Oh, if only they knew.

* * *

><p>Cozart wanted to cry on the spot. <em>'Why oh why did I accept this job? What did I do to deserve this?' <em>He lamented in his heart. Well, nobody can blame him. Anyone would act like the redhead if they were in his shoes right now.

"Stupid turf top, what do you mean you forgot what to ask? I thought I told you to jot down all of your questions on paper!" Gokudera bellowed.

"Shut up, octopus head! Of course I jotted them down on paper. I just forgot about it," Ryohei grumbled, searching his pockets for said paper.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

"Tsk, how long are you going to take to find that damn piece of paper?" G growled impatiently.

"Just a minute. I know I put it somewhere here, Pinky," Ryohei said.

"Don't call me Pinky!" G shouted.

"But, your hair is pink." Ryohei blinked owlishly.

"My hair is _NOT_ pink!" G exploded before looking to Cozart. "Your Honor, let me take over the questioning now."

Before he could reply, Ryohei roared in protest, "You can't EXTREMELY do that. You can't skip turns. It's my turn right now."

"I don't care. It's not like you're going to ask Knuckle anything important," G growled.

"I will. I just can't find the paper," Ryohei huffed.

"Your Honor, I would like to question Vongola Primo," G said, ignoring Ryohei's protests.

"You can't EXTREMELY do that, Pinky. This is obviously a violation of Paragraph 54, Section 78 of Vongola Mafia Rulebook," Ryohei shouted. "Your Honor, please remove this pink-head from the court chamber."

"I am _NOT_ pink-headed, you stupid boxing freak!" G bellowed.

"Then, let's EXTREMELY settle this in the ring," Ryohei stated, getting into his fighting stance.

"Fine by me," G said, pulling out his gun. "Let's settle this through a fight."

Cozart was starting to panic. In the Mafia world, when you bring a case to court, only one of two things can happen. The case can either be solved peacefully without any casualty, or an all-out fight will erupt between the two parties. Cozart really hoped the latter wouldn't happen. Because seriously, he doubted he could stop an all-out fight between Primo's family and their minis. Unfortunately, today didn't seem to be his lucky day. Both families had drawn out their weapons.

"W-wait, can't we settle this peacefully?" Giotto pleaded.

"Nufufufu…" Daemon chuckled eerily as he tightened the grip on his scythe. "I don't think that'll work anymore, Giotto. They're too idiotic to understand our reasoning. The only way to get through their thick skulls is by beating it into their heads."

"Oya, oya, that's a very bold declaration for someone who got caught in a simple trap," Mukuro stated. His eyes gleamed dangerously.

Meanwhile, the two Cloud Guardians had entered another glaring contest. Alaude wanted payback for his earlier humiliation, while Hibari was, well, Hibari. "Stupid old man, I'll bite you to death," Hibari said with his tonfa in hand.

"Hn, don't get too cocky, brat," Alaude stated indifferently.

Asari, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. The Rain Guardian didn't want to get involved in this pointless fight; but, at the same time, he also wanted to know his successor's real skill. Plus, Yamamoto still hadn't answered his question on why he kept pretending the Mafia world was a game.

Lampo, too, was reluctant to fight, but his reasoning came mostly from laziness. Not to mention, he didn't think he could beat up a defenseless child like Lambo. As for Cozart and Elena, they were trapped in the middle. As a judge, Cozart couldn't choose sides, but he needed to stop this madness before they destroyed the mansion. He silently hoped something could stop them in time.

"HIIIII, where am I?" As though his prayer had been answered, a shriek echoed throughout the mansion before a loud _'CRASH!'_ was heard. It had come from the room next door. Or, to be more precise, Tsuna's room.

Everyone immediately froze on the spot. A sudden déjà vu feeling washed over the Primo family. It was the same shriek they've been hearing for the last few days. Cozart and Elena, on the other hand, were shocked. They didn't know a girl was staying in Tsuna's room. Did something happen to her?

Decimo's family was the first one to break out from their daze and rush to Tsuna's room. They all looked very alarmed and worried. The fact their boss let out that high-pitched, girly shriek could only mean their boss was in a trouble. They almost tore through the door from its hinge as they rushed to Tsuna. Their fear was confirmed when they saw said person buried under a massive pile of presents from Giotto. They quickly dug out their beloved boss.

Tsuna let out a sigh of relief as soon as he got out from the mess. "Thanks for helping me, guys."

"Are you okay, Juudaime? Did you get hurt anyway? You didn't get hurt, right? Should I call someone to check you?" Gokudera asked in rapid succession, clearly worried for his boss.

Tsuna immediately tried to calm down his Storm Guardian. "It's okay, Gokudera. I'm fine." He stumbled and winced in pain as he tried to stand up. Luckily, his Guardians caught him before he fell.

"Herbivore, stay in your bed," Hibari ordered.

"Boss, I don't think you should move around," Chrome said quietly.

"Juudaime, are you really okay? Do you need anything? I'll get it for you," Gokudera rambled, shooting another look of concern at Tsuna.

"No, no, it's okay, Gokudera. I just had a headache from this weird dream," Tsuna answered before sighing and massaging his forehead. "I mean, of course it's a dream. There's no way we're stuck in the past 400 years ago. And, we only have a week or something to get to know Primo's family if we didn't want to be stuck here forever."

Everyone gave nervous glances at each other with the exception Mukuro and Hibari. Mukuro had an amused look on his face while Hibari just looked indifferent. Tsuna noticed his Guardians' nervousness.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Tsuna asked.

Before anyone could answer Tsuna's question, the door busted open to reveal Primo's family. Tsuna's eyes widened before he shakily pointed at them and shuttered. "Wh–why did…"

Giotto immediately brightened up as he saw Tsuna, alive and awake on his bed. "Tsuna, how are you? Are you okay?"

Tsuna's brain overloaded. The dream he had was not a dream after all. It all really happened. Vongola Primo really stood in front of them with his Guardians. They're really stuck in the past. Unable to handle such crazy information, Tsuna did the most normal thing he usually did in this kind of situation.

"HIIIII, we're really stuck in the past!" Tsuna shrieked like a little girl before fainting in front of his great-great-great grandfather.

Primo's family's jaw dropped to the floor. They couldn't believe what had just happened in front of them. Giotto was the first to snap out from his shock and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Daemon, check this room for illusions," Giotto ordered urgently.

Daemon quickly checked the room to ensure they were not trapped in some kind of sickening illusion.

The result?

"None. There's no illusion at all," Daemon said in a daze.

"Then, that means…" Asari's voice trailed.

"Tsuna really shrieked like a little girl and fainted in front of us," Lampo offered, finishing his sentence off.

Everyone could only nod dumbly as Asari tried to get rid the awkwardness with his grin. "Ha ha ha, I guess we shouldn't barge in like that. We might shock him."

"You think that," G deadpanned.

"Maa, maa, calm down, G. I'm sure there's a reason why Tsuna suddenly fainted," Asari reasoned.

Before G could start a fight with Asari, Lampo cut in, "Errr, guys, I don't think we should arguing right now." He gulped audibly. "Well, at least, not until after we get away from Decimo's family safely."

At this, everyone looked at the Decimo family. Needless to say, they looked ready to kill. Their box animals can be seen beside them.

"What did you do to Juudaime?" Gokudera bellowed. "He fainted after seeing you!"

"W-wait, we didn't do anything at all," Giotto said.

Unfortunately, the blond's plea fell on deaf ears. He could only hope they can somehow subdue a very angry Decimo family as they shouted aloud, "Cambio Forma!"


	29. Chapter 29: The Overprotective Guardians

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: As usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank for her work in your review. Answering Meota Tsukiko's question, I don't plan to add any other characters like Enma, Dino or Varia. I just don't know what to do with them if I put them in the story. As for Reena Vongola's question, I first imagine this story to be adventurous. Unfortunately, I kinda sidetrack. But, it's still adventurous. So, I don't change the category.

Answering Kuro-Squ-chan's question, the box animal can change from its normal form to VG just like the Vongola rings. In this chapter, the box animals are still in their normal form before undergoing upgrade into VG. Can't let Decimo family kill Primo family, right? To BeArOcKpRiNxEsS, yes, I just randomly put number and paragraph for the rule. Anyway, reviews always make me happy.

Chapter 29: The Overprotective Guardians

When Tsuna opened his eyes, he felt as if he was hit by a lorry. It was very painful to move his body but he ignored it in favor of checking his surroundings. Tsuna lightly massaged his temple to soothe the headache he got from the weird dream. In that dream, he was chased by a horde of fangirls before he and his Guardians were blasted by the Ten Year Bazooka. Then, for some reason, they were stuck in the past and had to live with Primo's family until they found out why the Primo family wanted to meet them.

Tsuna smiled. It was really a weird dream. But first, he needed to find his Guardians. His Hyper Intuition kept telling him to search for them as soon as possible before something happened.

At first, he thought he was in his room, but as his vision became clearer, he immediately realized he was alone in a stranger's room. One, he noticed, was full of presents – just enough to rival the paperwork in his office.

Tsuna couldn't help but shriek at this situation. "HIIIII, where am I?"

Unfortunately, Tsuna did not stop to consider that his high-pitched, girly shriek could cause a landslide of presents to happen.

_CRASH! _

And before the brunet knew it, he was buried by said presents. Inwardly, he cursed whoever brought so many presents into the room. _As if the paperwork was not enough…_

His muse was cut off when he heard footsteps rushing to the room. He felt really relieved when he saw his Guardians. Looking at how they fussed over him made him thankful to see that this was just another normal day.

For a moment, he felt ridiculous to think that the dream would turn into a reality. Sure, he had encountered many ridiculous and impossible things, but no matter what he thought, he still found it hard to believe that they were stuck in the past. He must have worked himself too hard. Maybe he should take a vacation. At least, that was what Tsuna thought until…

Primo's family burst into the room.

Tsuna may be the great Vongola Decimo, but he still had the dame gene somewhere in his body. Thus, he did the most normal thing he usually did when he was in this situation.

"HIIIII, we're really stuck in the past!" Tsuna shrieked like a little girl before fainting in front of his great-great-great grandfather.

* * *

><p>Giotto honestly could not see how things escalated to an all-out fight with the Decimo family. For starters, he didn't even know <em>why<em> they were fighting in the first place. He just remembered them barging into the infirmary room and greeting Tsuna before the brunet shrieked like a little girl and fainting in front of them. Giotto was still trying to come to terms with the fact that his successor had let out a high-pitched, girly shriek before Gokudera began shouting at them.

By the time the blond could react, the Decimo family had already summoned their pet animals from who-knew-where. And if that wasn't shocking enough, those same animals suddenly turned into weapons when the Decimo family shouted, "Cambio Forma!"

Oh, and don't forget the fact that their weapons looked _awfully_ similar to his own Guardians' weapons.

Gokudera had what looked like a bow attached to his arm. Yamamoto carried a long sword and the handles of three short swords. Hibari's weapons were handcuffs, just like Alaude's, but darker in color; whereas Mukuro had a set lenses floating right by his eye. Ryohei was wearing his boxing gear (his original clothing, Primo noted, had mysteriously vanished into thin air), and Lambo now donned body armor and a shield. Needless to say, Alaude, Daemon and G didn't appreciate having their weapons duplicated by their successors.

"Where the hell did you get that bow? Did you copy me? Better yet, do you even know how to use it?" G bellowed while shooting Storm-infused arrows at Gokudera.

"Of course I know how to use it. As for copying you, blame the technicians. It's not my fault the damn box weapon was designed based on your weapon," Gokudera shouted back, blocking the arrow with a bone-looped shield.

"For breaking the copyright law, I am going to arrest you," Alaude muttered, glaring at Hibari.

"Copyright laws didn't exist in this era, old man. You can't arrest me." Hibari rolled his eyes before smirking. "For making up non-existent laws, I'll bite you to death."

"Nufufufu… It seems someone is a copycat. Did you finally realize my awesomeness?" Daemon mocked.

"Kufufufu… I beg your pardon. Do you have brain damage? Don't compare my amazing lenses with your useless lenses. Mine is far superior to yours," Mukuro scowled.

Giotto hoped Tsuna would wake up soon to clear the misunderstanding. It was obvious the Decimo family was upset with them because of Tsuna. But, for some reason, Giotto's Hyper Intuition told him it might not be a good idea for Tsuna to wake up.

* * *

><p>~Tsuna's mindscape~<p>

"Tsuna! Tsuna! Open your eyes!" A voice called out urgently, shaking Tsuna's shoulder violently.

Unfortunately for that voice, Tsuna was a heavy sleeper. He could sleep even if there was a loud siren right next to his ear. As such, the voice had to take drastic measures. He hit Tsuna with the one ton mallet, completely jerking the brunet from his wonderful dreamland.

"Reborn, what you did that for?" Tsuna shouted, completely awake now.

"I'm not Reborn. I'm Inner Tsuna. Get your eyes checked," Inner Tsuna growled.

"Ehh?" Tsuna blinked with a clueless expression. "Inner Tsuna, what are you doing here?"

"Tsuna, you need to wake up right now. You can't stay in your mindscape forever," Inner Tsuna said.

"HIIII, why not? I don't want to wake up. I still don't know how I should react to Primo's family. They saw me shrieking like a girl," Tsuna said, embarrassment obvious in his tone.

"Tsuna, what about your family? Don't you care about what Primo's family might do to them?" Inner Tsuna asked sternly. "They'll probably bully your family if you don't wake up since they think your family is easy picking."

"HIIIII, Giotto-san won't let his family bully mine," Tsuna protested.

"Oh, please, Tsuna. You and I both know Alaude and Daemon didn't like us from the start. Heck, Primo sometimes had a hard time to stopping them. What will guarantee they won't attack your family now that you are out of commission?" Inner Tsuna argued.

"But…" Before Tsuna could protest, Inner Tsuna held up his hand, gesturing said boss to remain silent.

In a serious tone, Inner Tsuna asked, "Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Tsuna asked nervously.

"_SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME!_"

"Lambo's cry for help," Inner Tsuna answered.

* * *

><p>"SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ME!"<p>

Lampo shouted on top of his lungs, hoping Giotto or anyone to show up and save him from this life-threatening situation. Who knew water created from Rain Flames can be used as an effective conductor for lightning bolts created from Lightning Flames? And who would have thought that Lambo was capable of using Lightning Flames as well? Lampo watched in a mute horror as Yamamoto dashed toward him, intending to slash him in half. He could only close his eyes, bracing for the impact.

Only for the blade to be intercepted.

Asari was facing off against Yamamoto intensely. Lampo gulped. It was rare to see the musician so serious. The Lightning Guardian immediately knew that there will be an all-out sword battle between the two swordsmen, thus he carefully retreated to a safe place as the two swordsmen began their rematch.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure the others – especially Yamamoto – will protect Lambo," Tsuna reasoned. "He won't let Lambo get hurt."<p>

"Yeah, right. That's if Yamamoto is not busy fending himself against Asari-san," Inner Tsuna retorted. "Asari-san can be a dangerous man when he wants to. Let's just pray he doesn't try to chop down Yamamoto like he did to Knuckle-san if what Reborn said was true."

Tsuna was about to say something when he heard a shout. _"WATCH OUT, SWORD FREAK!_"

* * *

><p>"WATCH OUT, SWORD FREAK!" G shouted.<p>

Asari barely managed to dodge a slash from Yamamoto thanks to G's warning. The room was flooded with water reaching above their ankles. Both swordsmen continued their bout, trading blows and slashes at ridiculous speeds until finally, in a lapse of moment, Asari saw an opening. Without delay, he took the chance and made a move towards the other's gut. Yamamoto's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before his form liquefied, merging with the water below.

"Shigure Shouen Style: Ninth Offensive Form, Duplicate Rain," Yamamoto whispered quietly as he appeared behind Asari.

Asari quickly spun around, intending to smash Yamamoto's head with the butt of his sword, but by then Yamamoto had already unleashed his next move. A torrent of water suddenly appeared out of nowhere, washing Asari away and smashing him against the wall. With great difficulty, the older Rain Guardian stood up, using his sword to support himself.

'_It seems things are not going to be easy,'_ Asari thought grimly.

* * *

><p>"But – But, Primo's family had been nice to us all this time. They won't try to harm my friends," Tsuna shuttered, trying to reason with Inner Tsuna. "Besides, I doubt Gokudera, Hibari-san and Mukuro would take the crap without any retaliation."<p>

"Do you really want them to retaliate? When they get into a fight, they _will_ make damages and _never_ do them in small scale – you of all people should know this by now." Inner Tsuna rolled his eyes, scolding Tsuna. "Think of the paperwork you'll be doing because of them. And, I doubt Reborn will let you ditch the paperwork."

The image of mountains of paperwork immediately assaulted Tsuna's mind. It didn't make things better when –

_BANG!_

"_Tsk, stupid pink hair. Sit still so I can shoot you!"_

"_Like hell I'm going to do that!"_

_KABOOM!_

"_Nufufufu, you're dead, pineapple head."_

"_Oya, oya, I see someone needs to check his eyes. Because I'm sure you're the one _who's _going to die right now."_

_CRASH_!

"_Hn, for a_ _25-year-old_, _you're sure moving like an old man."_

"_Stupid brat, I'm not old. I'm still young."_

Tsuna could only hear the loud noises in mute horror. Not to mention, the sound of clashing weapons were becoming louder and louder. He hoped the room can still remain intact after the battle ends, but it didn't seem likely to happen.

"Yup, we'll definitely be doing a lot of paperwork," Inner Tsuna said sarcastically. "Let's just hope Primo doesn't snap at them for destroying his mansion and freeze them all with his Zero Point Breakthrough."

"_Zero Point Breakthrough_," a calm voice full of authority echoed throughout the room.

Tsuna immediately paled. Only one thought ran through his mind:

He needed to wake up right now.

* * *

><p>When Cozart and Elena rushed to the infirmary room, they were shocked to see both generations fighting with each other. And, it seemed the Decimo family was winning against the Primo family. Cozart decided it was the right time to give a little assistance to his friends.<p>

"Gravity of Earth," Cozart said in his HDW mode.

Immediately, the Decimo family was pulled to the floor by gravity. Unfortunately, the redhead forgot to take Primo's family into account when he manipulated the gravity and, as a result, the Primo family was also introduced to the floor just like their successors.

"Cozart, _what the hell are you doing?_" G shouted.

"Nufufufu, I didn't know you were so eager to enter my blacklist, Cozart," Daemon said eerily.

Ignoring the death threats and glares from both generations, Cozart called out to Giotto, "Giotto, this is your chance. Freeze them right now!"

Giotto nodded and quickly went into his HDW mode. He said his technique's name in a calm voice full of authority as he froze the Decimo family, "Zero Point Breakthrough."

He stepped back to examine his work. The tenth generation was covered with ice from head to toe. Giotto sighed in relief before turning to Cozart, "Thanks for the help, Cozart."

"No problem," the redhead grinned, helping the Primo family to stand up.

"Now, what should we do with them?" G asked, gesturing to the Decimo family.

"Nufufufu… How about we smash them while they're frozen?" Daemon suggested, ready to swing his scythe at the Decimo family before Giotto could stop him.

Unfortunately for Daemon, a small, adorable lion cub stood in his way. It had a mane made from Sky Flames and was no doubt one of the Decimo family's pet animals.

Daemon sneered at the lion cub. "Move away or I'll crush you just like them."

Giotto's Hyper Intuition immediately sent up a red flag. He knew he needed to stop Daemon from attacking the lion cub. If the lion was anything like the other Decimo family pets, then it was far more than it appeared. Giotto's Hyper Intuition was proven to be true when the lion cub suddenly became feral and let out a thunderous roar. The shockwave from it was so strong that it sent all of them crashing into the wall, rendering Elena and Cozart unconscious.

They quickly made a move to grab their weapons, only to find them turned into stone. Giotto was lucky that he managed to shield his gloves with his clock, thus his weapon was the only one not petrified by Natsu. Giotto's Guardians, on the other hand, weren't so lucky, and as such, they were forced to toss them aside. It's a good thing they made a habit of keeping spare weapons somewhere on their body. Giotto and co. immediately tensed when an insane killing intent engulfed the room.

"Mind telling me why my family became ice cubes?" An icy voice spoke.

Everyone whipped their heads toward the voice to see…

A pissed off Tsuna in HDW mode.


	30. Chapter 30: The Wrath Of Mini Primo

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing this story. Don't forget to thank her for her work in your review. To A Natsume Yuujinchou lover, well I think it's better for Giotto to freeze them up to their head. Don't want them to keep shouting during Tsuna and Primo family's fight. As for the scar, don't worry. They won't have it. Answering Reena Vongola's question, Lampo was the one who screamed but Inner Tsuna mistook it as Lambo's shout. Well, it can't be help. Lampo and Lambo both have their coward side.

To TsubasaFan1230 and Devil-Queen-Wolf-666, to tell you the truth I kinda forgotten about her. That and I don't really know how to include her in Tsuna's monologue. For CloudyDays12, I know there's different in pronunciation of Natsu's name in some media. But in this story, Tsuna's box weapon will be called Natsu. Anyway, review always makes me happy. So, don't forget to review.

Chapter 30: The Wrath Of Mini Primo

~Excerpt from the book called _Vongola's History: 8 Crazy Moments That Will Leave You Laughing, Crying and/or Outright Speechless_~

Vongola Primo may have been known as a kind, generous and good-hearted Mafia boss, but by no means was he a pushover or someone who can be bullied around. In fact, people went out of their way to avoid upsetting the first Vongola boss. It was never a pretty sight whenever his patience ran out—his own Guardians can attest you to that—and if asked who was the scariest and most dangerous boss when angered, Mafioso within the era would gladly (but discreetly) say Vongola Primo. At least, that was what everyone thought until…

_The Wrath of Mini Primo_ incident happened.

A kid roughly sixteen years of age showed the Vongola that there was indeed another person who can be scarier and more dangerous when angered than Vongola Primo. The kid greatly resembled Vongola Primo; thus he was nicknamed 'Mini Primo' by those he met. No one knew where the kid or his friends came from—Primo's Guardians were very tight-lipped about it—but there was one thing they were certain about when it came to the incident that had been ranked fifth craziest moment in Vongola history:

It was safer to anger Vongola Primo than his mini.

* * *

><p>"Mind telling me why my family became ice cubes?" An icy voice spoke.<p>

It was Tsuna, and boy did he look pissed off. His gaze was reserved solely for Giotto, his eyes no longer brown but orange in color. Giotto tried as best he could not to flinch. The lion cub ran to Tsuna, leapt, and then situated itself on his shoulder. It purred as Tsuna scratched its' ear. He turned his attention back to the blond.

"Well? Are you going to answer me or stay gaping like an idiot?"

"Tsuna, we can explain everything," Giotto said hastily.

"Does it involve smashing my family into pieces while they're in ice, _Primo_?" Tsuna spoke again, opting to call Giotto by his title to show the extent of his displeasure.

"That's not true. Daemon didn't mean it," Giotto exclaimed.

"Is that so?" he muttered before sending them a chilling glare. "Then why did it look like he was ready to smash my family with his scythe?"

"Tsuna, wait. Daemon was joking," the blond said, trying to come up an excuse.

It was truly a bad choice of words. If Giotto had known what happened between his Mist Guardian and Decimo's family in the future, he would have definitely opted for a different approach.

Brown bangs shadowed his face. "Joking? Joking!" Tsuna mumbled incoherently. _How could Primo – !_ His body trembled with visible anger, his thoughts in utter chaos. Tsuna clenched his fists then shouted aloud, "What part of this is a joke? They could have died!"

Primo's family suddenly had a dreadful feeling. This was not the same Tsuna who had shrieked and fainted in front of them; this was Vongola Decimo. And if Decimo was anything like Primo when he was pissed off, then they were in really big trouble. Considering how Tsuna's Guardians were almost on par with their strength, just how strong was their boss?

Before anyone could react, Tsuna disappeared from their view and was already at their backs, rendering both Knuckle and Lampo unconscious with a quick chop to their necks.

While the blond ran to his friends to make sure they were okay, Asari rushed toward Tsuna, intending to knock him down. Tsuna saw this and quickly sidestepped to avoid the blow. Then, using the opening, he kicked the Rain Guardian hard and sent him crashing into the floor. He would have followed it up with another kick had G not fired a bullet just centimeters above his head.

"Oi, flute freak, are you okay?" G shouted, still aiming his gun at Tsuna.

"I'm okay," Asari replied, trying to hide his pain with a smile.

"Tsuna, stop this. You're still not fully recovered! If you move around like this, you'll only hurt yourself more," Giotto pleaded.

It was true. Tsuna was already panting; he could feel his wounds reopening, but he would not be stopped by this. He had a family to protect, damn it. They couldn't protect themselves and were trapped in the ice, so it was his job to be the protector this time and get them out safely. With that in mind, Tsuna rushed toward Giotto, aiming to throw a Flame-powered punch on the Vongola boss. It was a good thing Tsuna's wound made his movements sloppy; otherwise, Giotto wouldn't have been able to avoid it. Giotto cringed when he saw the dent created from Tsuna's punch.

"Giotto, it's no use talking to him right now," G said, grabbing Giotto's shoulder as Alaude rushed to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Tsuna.

Before the blond could protest, Asari cut in. "I think G is right, Giotto. Tsuna is too angry right now to hear anything we have to say. It would be better if we rendered him unconscious first then explain everything to him after he wakes up."

Giotto quietly sighed but nodded at their reasoning. "G, Asari, go help Daemon. I'll help Alaude. But be careful with the lion cub – it seems to have an ability to petrify things."

With a nod, the Storm and Rain Guardians went to assist his Mist.

* * *

><p>~With Asari, G, Daemon and Natsu~<p>

Daemon was not amused. His illusions were practically useless right now. That stupid lion cub decided it would be much more fun to petrify every single illusion he casted. He was starting to run out of ideas when G and Asari suddenly decided to show up.

"Need a hand?" the redhead asked, firing a warning shot at Natsu.

Daemon glared at him. "Are you implying I can't handle this lion on my own?"

"Ma, ma, I don't think G means it that way, Daemon. We just want to help you," Asari replied cheerfully.

"Nufufufu…" Irritation was clear on Daemon's face, but with no way out of it, he quickly gave in. "…Fine. What's the plan?"

"You and I will coordinate our attacks to try and corner the lion. Then, when we have it distracted, Asari will move around the lion's attack range and knock it down with his sword." They immediately split up to execute the plan.

With the lion's attention divided, the three Guardians were slowly gaining an upper hand. Natsu's ability to petrify the illusions and bullets could not match up against their sheer numbers. As such, Natsu decided it would be wise to make a tactical retreat and regroup with his master.

Giving them a last petrifying roar, Natsu turned tail and made his way towards the brunet, dodging all attempts at capture by the three behind him.

* * *

><p>~With Giotto, Alaude and Tsuna~<p>

Tsuna by now was panting heavily. Beads of sweats ran down his forehead; his shirt was soaked in blood, indicating that his wounds had reopened. Tsuna pressed a hand on his torso to try and stop the bleeding. His vision was also starting to blur, but even then he made a strained attempt to stay focused on the opponents before him. As Alaude rushed toward him again, Tsuna prepared himself for a counter attack. He winced in pain when Alaude landed a kick on his injured torso.

"Alaude, don't hurt Tsuna too much!" Giotto shouted.

The blond's words distracted Alaude for a tiny second – just enough for Tsuna to land a hard punch to the other's gut. Alaude stumbled backward and grimaced in pain, but not before connecting a right hook to Tsuna's face. The Cloud Guardian's attack successfully sent him crashing down into the ground, adding yet another crater to the floor. The brunet rubbed his cheek as he quickly got up and back into his fighting stance.

Tsuna knew he couldn't beat Alaude and Giotto at the same time with his injuries. No matter what plan he came up, it always ended up with his loss. As soon as this realization sunk in, Tsuna made a desperate decision:

If he couldn't beat them down, he'll do as much damage as he could.

Seeing Natsu run to him, Tsuna made up his mind. After all, desperate situations called for desperate measures.

* * *

><p>Natsu growled in anger as he saw his master's state. Someone dared to beat up Tsuna! The lion cub jumped on his master's shoulder, licking the swollen cheek in an attempt to lessen the pain. Tsuna gave Natsu's head a reassuring pat before turning his attention back on his opponents. Primo's family (with the exception of Knuckle and Lampo) had surrounded them. Tsuna grimaced inwardly. Things didn't look good for the duo…<p>

"Tsuna, surrender now. We've got you surrounded," Giotto commanded.

Tsuna's response?

"Natsu, Cambio Forma: Modo Attaco," Tsuna said firmly as Natsu jumped on his fist, changing into a gauntlet.

Without delay, Tsuna concentrated his Flames on his fist. Everyone's eyes widened before G said something that triggered fear in their minds.

"Giotto, please don't tell me he knows your Big Bang Axle technique and plans to use it on us," the redhead said nervously.

Giotto didn't answer G's question. Instead, he and Alaude rushed toward Tsuna to stop him from launching said technique that could destroy the entire west wing. But alas, Giotto and Alaude were not fast enough to stop Tsuna.

"Big Bang Axle!" Tsuna shouted.

_CRASH! _

The floor collapsed due to the sheer force of the technique. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Tsuna was too weak to use the technique at its maximum power. So, instead of demolishing the entire west wing like it should have been able to, the attack only caused the room's floor to collapse.

As Tsuna fell, he couldn't help but think before he fell unconscious, _'I'm a terrible boss. I can't even keep my family safe.'_

After that, everything went dark for the brunet.


	31. Chapter 31: He's Just A Kid

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. As usual, I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank her for her work in your review. To The Mafia-ish Addiction, I don't think I'll bring the Arcobaleno to the past. Too many character for me to handle. Answering Kanrei's question, I think I'll stick to the one found in the manga.

To BeArOcKpRiNxEsS, yup, I can't believe it either. And, I almost have 1000 reviews. Back to your question, no, I haven't announced the first craziest moment. I'm planning to make it a countdown. Eight, seventh, sixth and fifth had been reveal. So, there're only four left to go. As for why Tsuna uses Big Bang Axle, it's easier for him to use at his current condition. Plus, I think XX Burner or X Burner is more suitable for long range attack. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 31: He's Just A Kid

"Juudaime! Juudaime! Are you okay?"

"Maa, maa, Gokudera, don't shout too loud. You'll disturb Tsuna."

"That's EXTREMELY right!"

"Urm… Ryohei-senpai, I don't think you should shout either."

Tsuna stirred, eyebrows furrowing in obvious discomfort. Why was it so _loud _at this time of day? Can't they tune down the noise? It's still too early for him to wake up, and he wanted to sleep as much as possible before he was deprived from it because of that damn paperwork…

"Wake up, Tsuna. Lambo-san wants some candy."

"Kufufufu… It seems Tsunayoshi really is a heavy sleeper. Should we use the Acrobaleno's method of waking up?"

"Hn, I can do better than that."

Tsuna shot up in the blink of an eye before tumbling from his bed. He cringed as he remembered how sadistic Reborn can be when that baby decided to give him a wake-up call. Ranging from bear traps to stun guns, and even the classic one-ton hammer – it didn't matter because whatever the infant did would always _hurt_. Two years worth of reflexes and instinct started to take over.

"HIIIII, don't hit me! I'm awake! I'm awake!" Tsuna shrieked, flapping his hands to defend himself from being hit.

"Juudaime, you're awake!" Gokudera exclaimed happily.

"Ha ha, see? I told you he'll wake up," Yamamoto said cheerfully.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief except for Mukuro and Hibari. Mukuro had an amused yet disappointed look on his face, though Tsuna wasn't sure whether it was from how he shrieked like a girl, or the fact that the skylark didn't bash his face in. Hibari, on the other hand, had his eyes narrowed in frustration, probably because the brunet was not acting like a carnivore as he should be. Nevertheless, Tsuna smiled and tried to get up only to wince in pain.

"Juudaime, are you okay?" Gokudera half-shouted in worry.

"Boss, I don't think you should move around too much," Chrome added quietly as the Rain and Storm Guardians helped their Sky get back on the bed.

"It's okay. I'm…" He paused, memories assaulting his mind. He immediately remembered his fight with Primo's family. Tsuna turned to his friends and went into panic mode, asking rapidly, "Are you guys okay? Did you get hurt anywhere? How did you get out from the ice? Do you need anything to warm you up?"

"Woah, easy, Tsuna. There's nothing for you to get panicked over," Yamamoto grinned, waving his hand dismissively. "We're fine. We're not hurt anywhere. We got out from the ice because your punch was not only strong enough to collapse the floor but break the ice as well. And, no. We don't need anything to warm us up."

"That's great!" Tsuna smiled before frowning. "But, why did Giotto-san freeze you guys in the first place? I thought we're on good terms."

Everyone shuffled nervously. Hibari just glanced away, seemingly indifferent, while Mukuro let out a nervous chuckle. Tsuna raised an eyebrow at this. His Hyper Intuition told him his friends were hiding something from him.

"Guys, is there something that I should know?" he asked suspiciously.

All seven of them squirmed under the brunet's gaze. How were they going to tell their boss that they had incorrectly believed that Primo's family had hurt him? They can already see Tsuna's chain of thoughts if they told him about this. He would definitely become ashamed and depressed because of their actions.

Tsuna crossed his arms in a very parental manner. "Well, are you going to tell me?"

"Kufufufu… I'm out of here. Call me after you tell everything to Tsunayoshi," Mukuro said as he tapped his trident on the floor to make his grand escape.

He would have gotten away with it, too, if Hibari hadn't yanked him out of the illusion by his collar. "You're not going anywhere, pineapple herbivore. Not until we settle this," Hibari hissed.

"Tell me what?" Tsuna narrowed his eyes before turning to Gokudera. "Gokudera, tell me what happened."

The said right-hand man was sweating bullets. Luckily, help came to him in the form of distraction from a certain red-headed Storm Guardian.

"You, stupid brat, did you want to kill us all?" G bellowed, struggling to get out from Knuckle's and Asari's hold. "What the hell were you _thinking_? You can't just use an attack that can level a building just like that!"

"Maa maa, calm down, G. I'm sure Tsuna didn't mean it. He was upset after all," Asari reasoned.

"You EXTREMELY shouldn't move too much. You're still injured," Knuckle chided.

"Like hell if I care. I'm going to kill him for his stupid little stunt," G shouted, setting off alarms in Tsuna's Guardians. They instinctively touched their weapons as the redhead continued his rant. "We didn't even do anything at all. They're the one who attacked us first!"

Now _that_ got Tsuna's attention. He asked, "What is G-san talking about, guys?"

Yamamoto grinned as he scratched his cheek – a habit he had for whenever he was nervous. "Ha ha ha… We might have made a few mistakes."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Everyone gulped. It was such a simple word, but it held a command within it that didn't allow any room for lies or arguments. They had to tell Tsuna sooner or later, right? They just hoped he would not overreact after they tell him.

"_Wethoughtyoufaintedbecause__Primo's__familyhurtyousoweattackedthem_," Gokudera spoke too fast for the brunet to hear.

Tsuna blinked. "Can you repeat it again? This time _slower_, please?"

"Tsk, how hard is it to hear what he said. He said they thought you fainted because we hurt you so they attacked us," G grumbled angrily.

"HIIII, why did you think that?" Tsuna shrieked, earning a ridiculous look from Primo's family. How, they all thought simultaneously, can the brunet turn from a calm, cold, calculative boy into a wimpy, clumsy kid in a fraction of a second? Then, a sudden thought struck Tsuna's mind. He shuttered, "Th-then, Primo's family didn't attack you?"

"We have better things to do than that," Alaude muttered darkly. "Like finishing the court trial."

"Come to think about it, Alaude is right. We didn't finish it," Cozart nodded in agreement before smiling at Tsuna. "Hi, you haven't met us yet. I'm Shimon Cozart and this…" He gestured at Elena. "…is Elena. I'm the judge of their case."

There was a brief silence as Tsuna tried to piece everything together, but the more he thought about it, the more confused he got. For starters, what did they mean by court trial?

Before he could ask, Gokudera decided to fill in. "We brought Primo's family to court for infiltrating our base."

Tsuna blurted aloud, "Since when did we have a base in this era?"

"Primo-san let us have his west wing so we made it into our base," Chrome answered quietly.

"And why would he do that?" Tsuna asked, suddenly feeling dreadful.

"Kufufufu… We asked him to give us the west wing as compensation for your injuries." Tsuna was clueless at first until Mukuro added, "After all, he shouldn't have spaced out and let you take SIX bullets for him."

"HIIIII, that's not true! Giotto-san didn't let me take the bullets; I was the one who jumped in front of him. You shouldn't have done that. That's really not nice," Tsuna rambled on until horrible realization sunk in. "Oh my god, I attacked Primo's family. What should I do now?"

He then turned to the Primo family, trying to stand up and apologize to them, only to…

…trip on his feet over NOTHING.

"Juudaime, are you okay?" Gokudera asked worriedly.

"Here, let me help you," Elena said, helping the brunet to stand up.

"Ouch, that really hurt…" Tsuna rubbed his head before bombarding Primo's family with a ton of questions. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt? I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you. I really should not have made assumptions without checking its' truth." He paused for a second, remembering something else. "AH! Giotto-san, are you alright? That guy didn't shoot you, right? Please tell me you're not bleeding anywhere."

Primo's family was at a loss as Tsuna continued his rambling. How the hell did they get their asses whooped by this wimpy kid? Heck, was this kid really Tsuna? Did someone switch the brunet with another wimpy kid behind their backs? What happened to the cool, calm, and serious kid that they met at the beginning?

Irritated, G raked a hand through his hair. "Would you stop your rambling? It's annoying."

"HIIII! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be annoying. Please forgive me," Tsuna said, bowing profusely.

"It's okay, Tsuna. G didn't mean it at all," Giotto chuckled awkwardly.

Giotto didn't know whether he should be grateful or disappointed. Sure, he was grateful that his successor was not acting like an uptight, calculative kid, and being able to see another friendly side of Tsuna's personality was a plus, but that didn't mean he was happy with Tsuna's apparent no-good side. Because seriously, how can a kid who tripped over nothing lead a Mafia family?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you trouble," Tsuna muttered sadly, looking utterly dejected. "We'll move out from here if you want us to."

"No, you won't be moving out from this mansion," Elena said in full conviction.

"Is – is it really okay?" Tsuna asked. His eyes were darting from Elena to Giotto.

Before Primo's family could object or say anything, Elena replied sweetly, "Of course it's okay. We don't mind you staying here. In fact, you can stay as long as you want." She turned to Primo family and gave them a look. "_Right, everyone__?_"

Everyone in Primo's family could only nod dumbly. They're not stupid or suicidal enough to say no to Elena when she gave them her 'Do what I say or else…' threatening look. But, Daemon couldn't bring himself to back down just like that, especially when his fiancée began showing affection towards other people. You can call the Mist Guardian childish or jealous, but he simply could not stand to see Elena with other men. Daemon's eyes narrowed at Tsuna. He didn't need another love competitor.

"Why do you want to help him anyway? You barely know him. Heck, you only met him ten minutes ago. Not to mention, he's dangerous," Daemon muttered darkly, trying as hard as he could not to growl.

Elena internally smirked at Daemon's jealous attitude. "Well, that's easy," she replied. "It's because Tsuna is soooo cute!" Elena squealed as she hugged the unexpected brunet.

Primo's family and Cozart—with exception of Daemon—face palmed at Elena's words and actions. They figured it would be her reason. She was always obsessed with cute things. Daemon looked outright murderous at the sight in front of him. He gripped his scythe tightly. Forget the pineapple boy. He can deal with him after he killed that insolent redhead and this wimpy Decimo.

'_Nufufufu, __that sounds like__ a great plan,'_ Daemon chuckled eerily at this thought.

"Oh, come on. He's not dangerous. He's cute. So, he will stay here," Elena said excitedly before frowning. "Just because his lion created havoc and almost destroyed the entire room doesn't mean Tsuna is dangerous. Besides, he's just a kid."

"Tsk, he's as guilty as the lion and his Guardians. He almost got us killed," G glared at Tsuna. Tsuna flinched at the glare.

"There's no need to be harsh on him, G. You shouldn't be mean to Tsuna just because he looks like a pushover," Cozart chided.

"Nufufufu… Shimon Cozart, I suggest you to keep quiet. We don't need your opinion in this matter," Daemon glared.

"Oh, please, you're not telling me this small, fragile, defenseless kid kicked your ass in the all-out battle that destroyed the infirmary room." Elena rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Cozart nodded in agreement at Elena's statement. No matter how he much he observed Tsuna, he still couldn't believe the boy was Giotto's successor. Tsuna was much too clumsy and wimpy to be Vongola Decimo. It was no wonder why his Guardians were so overprotective of him. Primo's family just glanced at each other nervously. They were really tempted to shout that Tsuna was not fragile and defenseless as Elena had nicely said. But, they knew Elena and Cozart wouldn't believe anything they say about the brunet.

"Giotto, please let Tsuna and his family stay here," Elena pleaded.

The blond could only sigh in defeat. It's not like he can say no to Elena, right? "…Fine, they can stay here."

Daemon gritted his teeth in frustration at Giotto's decision. Tsuna gulped nervously as he saw the illusionist's glare zero in on him. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.

And as usual, he was right.

Tsuna just earned the second spot in Daemon's 'people who I want to stab, gut, torture and/or kill on the spot' list right after Shimon Cozart.

All because of an innocent hug from Elena.


	32. Chapter 32: Catching A Cloud

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn

A/N: As usual, I thank Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank and give credit to her for her work in your review. To BeArOcKpRiNxEsS, the timeline would be 400 years ago. And, of course Tsuna and the others knew about Daemon and Elena. They fought him in the present. They just didn't know about Daemon and Elena's little 'break-up'. To Black Maya, nope, Reborn won't go to the past. Too many characters to handle in the story if I do that. Anyway, yay, I finally and officially have 1,000 reviews. I'm so happy. Review always makes me happy.

Chapter 32: Catching A Cloud

Tsuna shuffled his feet uneasily. After all that had happened, he no longer knew how to respond or act in front of the Primo family. And for crying out loud, why were they looking at him as if he was some sort of freak that escaped from a weird lab? Primo's Storm Guardian didn't make things any easier when he decided to turn all of his hostility towards the brunet.

G growled at Tsuna's approach, not bothering to hide his irritation. "What do you want, brat?"

Cozart sighed at the redhead's antics. G had activated his 'I am the great Giotto's right-hand man' mode. Cozart felt sorry for Tsuna. He surely didn't want to be in that boy's place when G was in that mode. True, the boy's Guardians and pets had created a lot of havoc, but that didn't mean G should be harsh on that poor, innocent, harmless boy. The brunet looked like he was going to break at anytime.

"G, you're scaring Tsuna. I don't think Tsuna wants to cause trouble," said Cozart patiently.

G scowled. "Shut up, Cozart. In case you've forgotten, he almost demolished the entire west wing and killed us at the same time," he shouted back.

"For crying out loud, G, just because you have a bone to pick with Tsuna's family, it doesn't mean you should put all the blame on the boy for their actions. They just wanted to protect their boss. Wouldn't you do the same if you were in their place?" Cozart pointed out quietly.

"But, at least I wouldn't have been as overprotective as they were," G retorted.

Cozart rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah? Do you remember the last time we had a Mafia meeting? In case you've forgotten, you almost put a bullet in everyone's head when one of them made some sort of rude gesture towards Giotto."

The redhead's face flushed in embarrassment. "I – I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.

Cozart sighed. "Sure you don't… But at least give Tsuna a chance. You're acting as if he's the one who destroyed the entire infirmary room when it was actually the lion cub's fault."

"But, it _was_ that brat's fault. He's the one who destroyed the entire room!" yelled G in frustration. "You can ask Giotto if you don't believe me."

Giotto gave them an uneasy grin and nodded in confirmation. "It's true, Cozart. G's not lying."

Cozart walked up to him and placed a firm hand on the blond's shoulder. "Giotto, I know you may be feeling slightly disappointed with your successor, but that doesn't mean you can gang up with G to bully him."

Giotto wanted to bang his head on the wall. Was it really hard to believe that Tsuna was the one who destroyed the room? Okay, maybe it had something to do with the fact that he looked like couldn't kill a fly and was somewhat too innocent to be involved in the Mafia world, but still…

The brunet took that moment to speak. "I – I'm sorry for the trouble that we've caused. Is there any way for me to make up for the damages we've done?"

"Maa, maa, calm down, Tsuna. We won't beat you. Just ignore G. He's in one of his moods," Asari smiled cheerfully, trying to pacify the nervous brunet. The Rain Guardian then looked at him with concern. "Plus, I don't think you should move around too much. You're still injured."

Tsuna shook his head. "No – no, it's okay. I insist. We've caused a lot of trouble. Helping you out is the least I can do," he answered timidly.

Before Asari could reply, they were interrupted by a shout from Knuckle. "Hey, does anyone know where Alaude is? I EXTREMELY need to treat his wound!"

Everyone looked around and realized they couldn't find said Guardian anywhere. He must have slipped away when they were too busy to pay attention.

"I'll go and make sure his wounds are treated," the boy offered eagerly, grabbing ointments and bandages from the priest.

"Tsuna, are you sure about this?" Cozart asked worriedly. "Alaude can be very violent…"

The brunet gave him a tentative smile. "It's okay. I'll be fine. Besides, it's my fault he got injured," he said, ignoring the confused look from Cozart and dashing away before Knuckle could stop him.

"What a good kid. He's willing to risk his life to make sure Alaude is alright. You guys should be nicer to him," Elena sighed with a dreamy expression. Daemon's jealous boyfriend instincts automatically kicked in.

"The boy's a demon in disguise," he muttered. "Don't be fooled by his appearance." Wrong thing to say – the illusionist's "ex-girlfriend" sent him a chilling glare.

"You know what? I've had enough of your attitude. I'm going to get some food instead of listening to your stupid rambling, so _good bye_," Elena snapped angrily before storming off towards the kitchen, leaving one stupefied Daemon (and company) behind.

* * *

><p>Alaude was not in a good mood. He still could not get over the fact that he had been called an old man by that stupid tonfa brat. And if that was not enough, that brat dared to duplicate his weapons! He'll make sure the Mafia world enforced copyright laws after their next meeting. Then, to add salt to injury, he had been beaten by a no-good, wimpy kid. So, Alaude was really not in the mood to deal with anything, especially not—<p>

—a stalker.

That's right.

Someone was suicidal enough to stalk the Great Alaude.

And that person was the same wimpy, no-good Vongola Decimo.

No matter how many turns he made or passages he went through, the Cloud could not ditch the kid who also seemed to know the mansion like the back of his hand (probably to hide from fangirls). Finally, Alaude had had enough. He stopped in his tracks. "Come out and show yourself," he commanded.

A squeak can be heard around the corner of the corridor. Soon, a mop of brown hair appeared out from it. Alaude crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. He didn't have all the time in the world to waste for this wimpy boy.

Tsuna nervously fidgeted with the bandages in his hands. "Erm, I-I w-was wondering if y-you're okay. K-Knuckle-san said he still n-needed to treat your injuries."

Alaude narrowed his eyes. "I don't need any help," he replied coldly.

But, Tsuna didn't let Alaude's answer deter him. "A-are you really sure? I punched you quite hard…"

Alaude glared back. He did not need anyone to remind him of _that_. "Mind your own business," he growled and walked away, intending to leave behind the brunet.

Unfortunately for Alaude, Tsuna didn't want to leave the Cloud Guardian alone without at least accomplishing his mission first. He followed Alaude silently like a lost puppy. They walked without making a sound.

One minute.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

"Are you really sure you don't want me to look at your injuries?" Tsuna asked hesitantly. "I brought along Knuckle-san's ointments. They're really effective." He revealed the ointments in his hands, trying to coax the Cloud into accepting his treatment.

"No," Alaude answered.

"I promise I'll be careful," Tsuna added quickly. "I swear you won't even know it's there."

The Guardian's patience—or what was left of it—quickly ran out. Was it really hard to understand that he did not need the boy's help? He turned around abruptly and snatched away the ointments, earning a yelp from Tsuna.

Alaude gave him a menacing glare. "I'll do it myself," he stated. "Now, _go away_."

Then, he did a one-eighty and continued walking. Hopefully, that boy won't follow him anymore, he thought. But, alas, the Cloud didn't get his wish. Tsuna still tailed him with that annoyingly timid expression.

Exasperated, Alaude asked in a hostile tone, "What do you want?"

Tsuna flinched and went back to fidgeting with the bandages. "Urm, I just wanted to make sure you're okay," he replied.

"I'm fine," Alaude answered.

Silence reigned between them once again. Needless to say, it was very awkward for the brunet – the quietness was slowly killing him. Then, when he couldn't take it anymore…

"Alaude-san, do you need anything?" Said Guardian mentally sighed.

"No," he answered, but Tsuna didn't want to give up.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"No."

"Do you want some water?"

"No."

"Erm, if you want, I can carry the ointments for you."

"No."

"Do you want some food? I can go to the kitchen and find some."

"No."

"Then, do you want—"

Alaude couldn't stand it anymore. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Tsuna to bump into him and fall on the ground. He glared at Tsuna with murderous killing intent, hoping to scare away the boy as he's done with men twice his size. But unfortunately for the Cloud, Tsuna seemed to be unaffected by the killing intent. In fact, the boy was looking at him with worried eyes.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Alaude asked coldly.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay," Tsuna answered timidly.

"Why?"

"Be-because I punched you really hard. Not many people are just okay after that." Tsuna fidgeted under Alaude's glare.

The Guardian gritted his teeth. "I am not one of those weaklings."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that I'm worried about you," said Tsuna, gazing gently into Alaude's eyes.

Concerned eyes met cold eyes.

The winner?

"Fine. You can help me treat my wounds," Alaude sighed in defeat.

Tsuna nodded happily and proceeded to do his job before the Cloud could change his mind. As Tsuna saw and treated the darkening bruises, he couldn't help but wince – he really did punch Alaude really hard. It's amazing how the man looked unaffected by the bruises, Tsuna thought to himself, carefully applying some ointment over the wounds.

Alaude, on the other hand, was observing Tsuna as the boy helped bandage his torso. Most people would run away or cower at his mere presence, but the brunet stood his ground even after Alaude had warned him. Either the boy was a retard or some brave idiot, he mentally concluded.

"Why are you not with your family?" asked Alaude.

"Eh? B-but, I am with my family right now," he replied. Tsuna tilted his head to the side, slightly confused.

Alaude growled in annoyance. "I mean your Guardians. Why are you not with them? They may need you."

Inner Tsuna made an "O" with his mouth, now understanding the question and its implication. "But, Alaude-san, you're one of my family members too," Tsuna said softly. "Even if we're from different generations… a-and, you're a bit scary, I can't just leave you like that."

"_But, I can tell you that Sawada Tsunayoshi is not a boss who will abandon his friends no matter how aloof they are."_

For some stupid reason, his successor's statement echoed in the Guardian's mind. Alaude couldn't help but think that there might be some truth in those words.

After some contemplating, the Cloud asked, "How is CEDEF in the future?"

Tsuna blinked, pausing in his work. "Erm, I'm not supposed to tell you what happens in the future," he answered cautiously, "But, I can tell you this: the CEDEF is in good hands. Dad's a great leader; though if anything were to happen, I'll make sure to take them under my wing. They're a part of our family, too, after all."

Alaude was taken aback by Tsuna's determination before something sunk in his mind. "Your father is the boss of CEDEF?"

"Yes, he's a great leader. He beat me once in a fight." Tsuna rubbed his head sheepishly before babbling random things. "He may be clumsy and look useless, but he's a really, really great boss…"

Alaude tuned out Tsuna's babbling as he went back to observing the boy. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't need to worry about CEDEF's future anymore. Despite his initial thoughts, Alaude had a feeling the CEDEF will be okay in the hands of this boy. He didn't need to test the brunet's strength – the injuries on his torso were more than enough proof that the boy was strong. Not to mention, Tsuna was in terrible condition when he fought them. That and his burning determination to protect his family.

Yes, he thought.

Alaude had decided.

CEDEF will be in good hands in the future.

And if not, he planned to haunt that boy to death if they dared to neglect his organization.

But first…

…he needed to stop the boy's non-stop, idiotic rambling.

Unbeknownst to Alaude, his Vongola ring started to glow a purple color. It pulsed gently, causing Tsuna and his Guardians' Vongola Gear to glow in the same purple color. Tsuna noticed it, but the glow disappeared as fast as it appeared, leaving the brunet to wonder if anything had really happened.

'_Oh, well. I must be seeing things,'_ concluded Tsuna in his mind.

Little did he know how important it was going to be for them later on.


	33. Chapter 33: My Family Is My Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Don't forget to thank for her work in your review.

To Butterfree, thank for you review and comment. I'm surprised you actually review almost every chapter I wrote. Answering your question on Chapter 33 review, to be honest, I just use idea that pop out in my head when I'm writing this story. I never actually intent to write until Chapter 33. So, yeah, it sometimes can be unorganized. But, I tried to link the chapters together so that it won't be too awkward whenever I wrote a new chapter.

As for Decimo family OOCness, well, what can I say. This is fanfiction. I just can't resist making them doing something OOC especially when it's fun doing it. For your question in Chapter 23 review, well, Giotto was so happy to be in a paradise full of cake and desert that he totally just ignored his Hyper Intuition. To question in Chapter 21, Daemon forgot to use his lenses because he was too preoccupied with the fact that he was stuck with Lampo and Alaude. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

Chapter 33: My Family Is My Home

"Wow, that's really fast," said Knuckle, blinking in amazement.

Who knew despite their different personalities and quirks they would have such amazing teamwork? He was not the only one who had this opinion – Asari and Lampo thought the same thing, too. It was a shame the others weren't there to see it: G had dragged Giotto to his office earlier to finish the paperwork, muttering something about how Giotto had agreed to do anything he said if he allowed the blond to eat cake.

Cozart, being a good friend, followed the two to make sure G didn't do anything drastic. Daemon, on the other hand, had chased after Elena who'd stomped away from the room, and only God knew where Alaude went as he had yet to reappear since Tsuna went to look for him. Consequently, and without much else to do, Asari, Knuckle and Lampo were left in charge of cleaning up the mess and watching over the Decimo family.

As soon as things settled down a bit, Gokudera had literally gone into his 'I'm the great Juudaime's right-hand man' mode. Knuckle, Asari and Lampo could feel the air of maturity and authority coming from Gokudera – something they had never experienced since the Decimo family came to their era. …Well, okay, minus the time when Tsuna got hurt.

"Alright, everyone call up your box animals. We need as much help as we can get," Gokudera ordered. "Turf top and Knuckle-san can help clean up the rubble. Baseball freak and Asari-san are going to remove the broken furniture. Lampo and Chrome can clean up and fix the windows. Lambo and I are going to look for and dig out any undamaged presents and furniture. Hibari and Mukuro can go away as long as they don't do any more damage."

"Oya, oya, what makes you think we're going to do more damage than help out? That hurts, you know," said Mukuro, faking a hurtful expression. He also added something along the line of "questioning [his] usefulness" and "leaving Chrome with a bunch of uncouth men."

Hibari, on the other hand, had already disappeared to who knew where before Gokudera finished speaking. Inwardly, Lampo was very grateful at this development. Not many people could match Alaude in terms of scariness like Hibari could, and one of them (Giotto) only became scary whenever he got mad.

As the two Guardians got into another face-off (complete with threats, weapons, and killing intent), Lampo couldn't help but notice how similar Gokudera's shouting was to G's. He looked like he was going to murder everyone on the spot – something G tended to do when he had to deal with annoying things or people.

And Mukuro was as protective as Daemon in some twisted way when it came to their precious people. In Daemon's case, it was Elena; while for Mukuro, it was Chrome. From the sadistic gleam in Mukuro's eyes, Lampo really didn't want to test the theory.

Luckily, before things started exploding again, Yamamoto came to the rescue in a very Asari-like fashion and suggested for Mukuro to help with Chrome. Lampo didn't want to know what would happen if Yamamoto hadn't decided to act as peacemaker; and as much as he didn't want to admit it, Yamamoto's grin and smile comforted him somehow.

Ryohei, being Ryohei, punched straight up in the air and shouted in support, though he earned glares from both Gokudera and Mukuro for his "octopus head" and "pineapple head" comments, respectively. Lampo quietly wondered how they haven't lost their hearing yet due to Ryohei's and Knuckle's EXTREME vocal issues.

Not wanting to deal with the two idiots on top of Mukuro's sadism, Gokudera finally relented. "Fine, just don't cause trouble," he grumbled. "I don't want Juudaime to have another panic attack. He's not in good condition to move around like that." Everyone fell silent at this and soon got to work.

Bickering, fighting and shouting aside, everything ran smoothly between the first and tenth generational Guardians. Kangaryu and Gyudon helped Ryohei and Knuckle remove large broken concrete. Jiro's nose was very useful for sniffing out the sweets. Uri, on the other hand, didn't help much since all he did was scratching Gokudera. And both Kojiro and Mukurowl helped Chrome and Lampo clean the windows. Unfortunately, the birds couldn't clean some of the windows that were not within reach, so Chrome and Lampo had to pull out the ladder.

Now, they had a problem.

Chrome was wearing a skirt. She had flat out refused to climb the ladder since she did not want to show her panty to the person who would be holding the ladder, Lampo. Lampo quickly denied such actions, but Chrome insisted he climb the ladder instead. Of course, Mukuro fully supported Chrome's suggestion and had not been so subtle in threatening poor Lampo to agree with the suggestion.

"But, that place is too high. I don't want to do it," whined Lampo, still trying to weasel his way out of the job.

"Kufufufu… Then, you better get used to high places since there's no way I'm going to let my dear Chrome climb that ladder," Mukuro chuckled eerily.

'_Damn, he's _so_ like Daemon. What did I do to get stuck with this sadistic pineapple head?'_ Lampo whined mentally.

As if Mukuro can read Lampo's thoughts, he smiled creepily. "Kufufufu… I can assure you that I'm nothing like that stupid melon head. Besides, unlike him, my illusions are more sadistic, realistic and fantastic."

Yup, Lampo had decided. Mukuro really was like Daemon. Probably even worse. With that realization, Lampo could only nod dutifully before he started climbing the ladder.

"Urrm, don't worry about it, Lampo-san," Chrome called out softly, trying to reassure said Guardian. "It's only three meters from the ground. It's not that high, really."

'_Easier for you to say. You're not doing it,'_ Lampo grumbled inwardly.

As Lampo cleaned the window, he lamented over the similarities between his own family and the Decimo family. It was frightening how alike they were despite their differences. Lampo was brought out of his thoughts by Gokudera and Lambo's bickering. Apparently, Lambo wanted to annoy Gokudera just for the fun of it and somehow decided the bomber's hair looked better in pink. Lampo made a mental note to use that prank on G. Of course, Gokudera didn't take it too kindly and yelled at the cow kid, which in turn caused said kid to burst into tears and start randomly throwing grenades.

Unfortunately for Lampo, one of the grenades landed next to the ladder and exploded. At that very exact moment, Tsuna walked into the room. Tsuna's eyes widened at the sight of Lampo falling from the ladder. He tried to stop Lampo from falling, seeing as he was the closest to where Lampo was going to land. But, Tsuna was not fast enough. He could only watch in horror as Lampo hit the floor with a sickening thud. Everyone immediately abandoned their jobs and rushed towards Lampo.

Lampo, on the other hand, was not looking good. He could feel his head bleeding and someone pressing down on the wound. His vision was blurring. His whole body throbbed in pain. Lampo tried as hard as he could to stay conscious. He could hear everyone's shouts and yells. For the first time, Lampo wished he could understand what they were saying. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he saw a pair of concerned eyes that looked awfully similar to someone he knew…

* * *

><p>When Lampo woke up, he felt as though he had been hit by a ton of bricks. And all the annoying noises and chatter going on in the room didn't help his headache, either.<p>

"You, stupid cow, look what you've done!"

"Shut up, Stupidera. Lambo-san didn't mean to do it!" A loud sob and some sniffling can be heard from the speaker.

"Ma, ma, calm down, Gokudera. Don't be so harsh on Lambo. I'm sure Lampo will be okay. We have Knuckle-san and sempai here."

"That's EXTREMELY right!"

"Urmm, Ryohei-san, I don't think you should be shouting," A girl said timidly.

Lampo decided it was time to let them know that he had woken up. "What's going on?"

That immediately grabbed everyone's attention. They blinked for a moment before Gokudera casually walked up to Lampo, stopping right in front of him. Lampo was still trying to figure out what Gokudera wanted when the bomber suddenly smacked his head.

"HIII! Go-Gokudera, you shouldn't smack Lampo-san's head like that," stuttered Tsuna.

"Ow, why did you do that for?" Lampo rubbed his head.

"Tsk, that's for making Juudaime really worried. But, since Juudaime said so, I'll let you go," Gokudera stated sternly before looking away and asking, "Are you okay?"

Lampo had to strain his ear to hear the last part. Was the bomber actually concerned about him? His suspicion was confirmed true when Yamamoto said happily, "Ha ha ha, Gokudera didn't mean to smack you, Lampo. He's just worried about you. That's all."

Said bomber immediately blushed. It didn't help when he started to stutter. "W-Who says I'm worried about him?"

Lampo had to admit that's a weird way to show his concern.

Ryohei's grin went a mile wide. "Don't be EXTREMELY shy to admit it, octopus head!"

"Who says I'm shy?" Gokudera yelled back, completely embarrassed to be called that.

"Oya, oya, it seems someone tries to hide his blush by yelling," Mukuro teased.

"Mu-Mukuro-sama, I don't think you should say something like that to Gokudera-san," stuttered Chrome.

"_Who says I'm blushing?_" Gokudera yelled louder, bringing out his dynamite. His face's color almost matched the color of G's hair. Lampo was not really sure if it was because of anger or embarrassment.

"Ma, ma, calm down, Gokudera. Mukuro didn't mean any harm." Yamamoto threw his arm around the bomber's shoulder before adding, "Although I have to agree with him on this one. Your face is all red."

"That's it. Prepare to die," Gokudera yelled, hurling the dynamite at them.

"HIIII! Go-Gokudera, don't throw dynamite here. We just fixed the place!"

Unfortunately, Tsuna's plea fell on deaf ears. Thus, a fight broke out amongst the Decimo family _again_. It didn't make things better when Hibari suddenly appeared out of nowhere and proclaimed that they were being too loud and crowding the room. Tsuna immediately tried to stop the fight with the help of Asari and Knuckle, but, alas, it only made things worse. Lampo looked at them with a bewildered expression.

"What are they doing?" he asked to no one in particular. "Do they want to destroy the room again?"

"Yup, Lambo-san thinks the same thing too. They can be very idiotic and violent," Lambo nodded sagely, ignoring Lampo's look of surprise.

Lampo looked back at the Decimo family and couldn't help but agree with Lambo. "Yeah, I think you're right."

"But…" Lambo's voice trailed off before he continued. "No matter what, Lambo-san is grateful to have them as his family. They're Lambo-san's home." There was fondness in his voice and eyes as he said this. "And, they are your home, too, Lampo-san." Lampo whipped his head at Lambo's declaration, meeting the child's soft gaze. "Because you're one of our family members, too. Even if you're from a different generation."

"One of your family members," Lampo repeated dumbly, trying to understand what Lambo just said.

"Yeah. You should see what happened when you passed out. Everyone was so worried, especially Dame-Tsuna and Stupidera. But, don't tell this to anyone. Stupidera's going to bomb you if he hears you spreading it around," Lambo chuckled as he watched his family's bickering.

Something inside Lampo felt very warm at Lambo's words. He shook his head. The boy's notions were childish. How can someone you've known for less than a week be family? That didn't make any sense at all. He was jolted out of his musings when a gentle hand shook his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Lampo-san?" Chrome asked worriedly. "You're spacing out."

That question immediately stopped the fight.

"Eh, Lampo, are you alright? Do you need anything?" Tsuna watched Lampo with concerned eyes.

"Let me EXTREMELY check you!" Ryohei shouted.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine," Lampo answered hastily.

"Are you sure? You look kinda pale…" Yamamoto frowned. "I think you should rest. We'll finish up the repairing and cleaning."

"Really? You're okay with that?" Lampo brightened up at the prospect of skipping work.

"Just shut up and rest," Gokudera mumbled before glaring. "But don't think you can shirk out on your work next time."

Lampo shrank under Gokudera's glare. Luckily, Chrome came to the rescue.

"Gokudera-san, I don't think you should glare at him. You're scaring him," Chrome pointed out.

"Kufufufu… You better get well. You don't want to suffer in my hand, right?" Mukuro chuckled eerily.

Hibari just grunted. Lampo didn't know if that meant he agreed with Mukuro or not. Hopefully not. He didn't want any more broken bones. But, he could sense the truth in Lambo's statement. He can see concern and worry in everyone's eyes even if some of them (unsuccessfully) denied it. They were really worried about him. Just like when one of their family members got hurt. Just like when Tsuna got hurt. Lampo's eyes widened at this realization.

Family.

They thought of him as one of their family members.

Even though he's from a different era.

Even though he's an outsider.

Lampo blinked, trying to usher away tears that were threatening to form in his eyes. He never realized how much this made him happy. Probably because he knew now without a doubt.

Past, present or future.

It didn't really matter.

The Vongola will always be his family and home.

"You, stupid pineapple head, you're not supposed to say that," Gokudera bellowed.

"Kufufufu… You have problem with that?" asked Mukuro, pulling out his trident.

"HIII, please don't fight!" Tsuna cried, but it was too late. Another fight had already started.

Lampo smiled. Yup, the Vongola will always be his family and home. Even if it was full of crazy and wacky people. With that thought, his Vongola ring softly glowed a green color. In response, everyone's Vongola Gear started to glow with the same color. Of course, it went unnoticed since everyone was too busy and focused on the fight.


	34. Chapter 34: A Clue To Return Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I'm very busy with my study. But, right now, I have free time. Cheers to me! (^^). As usual, I give credit and thank Rekishichizu for her work in 'beta'ing my story. Please don't forget to thank her in your review especially if you think Chapter 33 is really wonderful. She helped me a lot in writing that chapter.

To Soul of The World, thank you for your suggestion. I can't really guarantee about it. But, don't worry. Reborn will show up in this chapter even if he didn't go to the past. Answering Yuu3, the 8th moment is the Legendary Demon Fight. See Chapter 28 to see it. I still haven't revealed 1st to 4th moments since I want to make it as a countdown. Anyway, don't forget to review. Review always make me happy and give inspiration.

Chapter 34: A Clue To Return Home

Tsuna sat on his bed, fingering and looking at his ring absentmindedly. His Guardians were gathering around him. They had all finished cleaning up the mess, but it was really an exhausting task. Knuckle and Asari had told them to go rest before dinner.

At first, Tsuna was quite reluctant. He was still worried about Lampo's condition, which Knuckle and Asari noticed. But after a lot of persuasion from the two that Lampo just needed some rest and will be okay by dinner time, the brunet finally agreed with their suggestion and went back to his room. However, right now, Tsuna really wished he could talk to Shoichi because he genuinely had no clue on what he needed to do.

It had already been three days since their arrival, and they still haven't made any progress on getting close to Primo's family. How were they going to help the first generation realize their wishes if they didn't know what they had wished for in the first place? And now they only had four days left to figure out said wishes. At the rate they're going, Tsuna would not be surprised if they got stuck in the past forever.

The teen was brought out from his deep thoughts when Yamamoto slung his arm around Tsuna's shoulder and gave him a goofy grin. "Maa, maa, don't get worried too much, Tsuna. I'm sure everything will be okay."

"I'm sorry," Tsuna smiled weakly. "It's just that we only have four days left, and we still don't know any of their wishes."

"Ha, ha, ha, then bow down to Lambo-san since he had figured out Lampo's wish!" Lambo puffed his chest to add to the effect of his declaration, only to be ruined by a smack on his head from Gokudera.

"Stupid cow, don't get too cocky," Gokudera scowled before beaming at Tsuna. "Juudaime, I found out G's wish. He wanted to know—"

Before Gokudera could finish his words, Lambo interrupted. "Stupidera, why did you hit me?"

"Because you're annoying," he replied without missing a beat.

Sensing the bickering that was about to come, Tsuna stepped in. "That's great, Gokudera, Lambo. Now, we only need to figure out five more wishes."

"Ha, ha, ha, then, I guess you should make it four because Asari-san told me his wish," Yamamoto laughed.

"That's EXTREMELY awesome! I've EXTREMELY found out Knuckle's EXTREME wish, too," Ryohei roared.

"Ha, ha, ha, that's great, Sempai," Yamamato said before turning to Mukuro. "What about you, Mukuro? Any luck with Daemon?"

That question grabbed everyone's attention. It was well known Mukuro and Daemon hated each other with passion since the moment they first met. In fact, it'd be a miracle if Daemon was willing to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Mukuro at all.

"Kufufufu… Don't underestimate us. My dear Chrome did a wonderful job in extracting the information," Mukuro replied, his grin slightly reminding them of Byakuran.

Chrome blushed. "B-but, Mukuro-sama, I didn't really do anything…"

Everyone in the group blinked. Did they hear this right? Was it really true that their shy, harmless, female Mist Guardian had somehow managed to make that sadistic, violent, melon-headed illusionist open his mouth and survived to tell the tale?

"B-but, how?" asked Tsuna in a daze, unable to believe Mukuro's words.

"He made Chrome angry," Mukuro's grin became wider. "Angry enough to bring out her darker side."

All of them blanched at the statement. If Daemon managed to turn Sweet, Innocent Angel Chrome into Evil, Sadistic Dark Witch Chrome, he must have done something that angered the girl _a lot_. Everyone turned around to look at Chrome who appeared confused.

"Um, I-I don't think I'm _that_ scary. I-I was just… reprimanding him," Chrome muttered, before looking back at the group with wide, innocent eyes, a little hurt that they had thought of her that way. "I'm really not that scary, right?"

Unbeknownst to Chrome, her dark aura had begun manifesting itself around the girl. Tsuna quickly shook his head. "No, Chrome, I don't think you're scary," he replied.

The aura disappeared. "Really?" Chrome asked innocently, to which the brunet nodded just as fast.

"Really," he affirmed, feeling a bit relieved that Chrome hadn't cried. He then turned to Hibari. "What about you, Hibari-san? Did you get any information from Alaude-san?"

"Hn," Hibari grunted. "The old man told me his wish."

Tsuna's shoulders slumped. His head hung in shame. "So, that means I'm the only one who couldn't find anything useful from Giotto-san."

"Ma, ma, ma – it's okay, Tsuna. I'm sure you will find out about it. After all, we still have a few days. How about each of us share our predecessor's wish? Maybe we can find a way to fulfill them in the meantime," Yamamoto suggested.

Everyone nodded, thinking it was a good idea. And so, they each took turns in telling the others what they had found out from their predecessors.

"Wow, who knew Primo's family had so many issues with insecurity? I guess it makes sense why Alaude had asked me about CEDEF, then," Tsuna muttered, rubbing his forehead to soothe the incoming headache. "Now, we just need to find a way to convince them that everything is okay. …Well, if we can find any."

"Don't you worry. You're already doing a good job in fulfilling their wishes," a voice said.

Suddenly, Tsuna's Vongola Gear started to glow, and a hologram appeared in front of them. It was Shoichi.

"Shoichi, what do you mean by that? We haven't done anything to fulfill their wishes," Tsuna exclaimed. "At least, not anything that I can think of," he added as an afterthought.

Shoichi smiled, fixing his glasses. "Tell me, did any of you notice your Gear glow in a color that's different than the color of your own flame?" Tsuna blinked at the question. Now that Shoichi mentioned it…

"I'm not sure," he began. "I think my ring glowed purple when I was talking to Alaude-san. And when I was trying to stop everyone from fighting, the ring glowed again, but that time it was green. Still, it could have been my imagination. I was too busy trying to stop them from destroying the room," Tsuna scratched his head.

"My Vongola Gear glowed purple while I was cleaning the room. But, I'm not really sure about the green color," Chrome said, getting a nod from the others.

"That's great!" Shoichi replied as he clapped his hands, earning him many confused looks. "That means you've already fulfilled their wishes.

"Whenever you manage to make a first generational Guardian believe their wish has come true, your Vongola Gear will glow a color that corresponds to the Guardian's flames," Shoichi explained.

"Juudaime said his ring glowed purple and green. That means somehow, along the way, we managed to convince Alaude-san that CEDEF is in good hands, and to Lampo that the Vongola will always remain his family regardless of what happens in the future," Gokudera concluded.

"That's right. Now, you only have five more to go," Shoichi cheered.

Everyone sighed in relief. There's actually progress in their mission. No one wanted to admit it, but they had been worried about what would happen if they couldn't go home. Unfortunately, it was short-lived when Tsuna decided to change the subject.

"Is everything okay at Vongola Mansion?" he asked.

Shoichi shifted uneasily at the question. He really didn't know how to explain it. Adjusting his glasses, the technician answered, "Everything is fine at Vongola Mansion. Well… except for maybe Reborn-san."

That grabbed the group's attention. Reborn was the greatest hitman in the world. There was nothing he couldn't handle. For Reborn to face trouble, that meant something serious must have occurred while they were gone.

"What happened? Did an enemy attack our base?" Tsuna asked in boss mode.

"Well, no. We haven't had any attacks from enemies. At least, for now," Shoichi replied nervously, earning a frown and another confused look from everyone. "It's just that Reborn-san has been having problems with_ some_ of your paperwork, Sawada-san."

Tsuna gulped in fear. For some reason, he didn't like the answer to his question. "How much trouble is he facing?"

"Let's just say Reborn-san was _really_ not happy about it, especially since he has paperwork to do for F-Day," Shoichi explained.

Everyone shuddered at the mention of that particular day. F-Day was a well-known holiday in the Mafia world. It had been celebrated since 400 years ago – the era that they were currently in. Nobody was quite sure how it began or why it was even celebrated.

Some people say it was to honor a tragic story between two lovers. Others say it was to celebrate the bond between subordinates and their boss. The remaining people each had their own ideas, though recently the theory that it was the day U.M.A.s invaded and took over their minds has been gaining popularity.

Nobody could agree on anything regarding the origin of the festival. However, they did agree on one thing:

F-Day was a nightmare.

On that day, nobody was allowed to engage in any Mafia-related activity. That meant no attacking, no killing, no screwing other peoples' minds, no biting people to death, no throwing any types of explosives around, and so on. In fact, every Mafia family was encouraged to pay a friendly visit to each other. It's a day where all Mafioso can enjoy and have fun just like any normal person without worry of being murdered in open areas.

Simply put, it was a day for peace – something that every Mafia Boss was happy for, especially Tsuna, considering how much paperwork he had because of his destructive Guardians. Of course, a few of said Guardians were not very ecstatic about it, but there was nothing they could do in regards to the holiday, which Tsuna secretly felt glad for. He already had a lot of paperwork he needed to look through without the extra stacks, thank you very much.

So, if it was a day for peace, why was it considered a nightmare to everyone in the Mafia world?

Well, it was because of a certain enemy known as "fangirls." You could say that this was how the holiday got its' name. On that day, stalking and ambushes from fangirls on Mafia families were at their peak. Nobody could arrest them since the fangirls claimed they were only paying a visit to the families, which was somewhat true, even if they did it in a creepy, stalking manner. Not to mention, they haven't actually _hurt_ anybody aside from secretly taking pictures and stealing things that belonged to their object of affection.

Since no fighting was allowed on that day, every Mafioso became vulnerable to their ploys. Gardeners can be bribed into letting fangirls in. Maids and butlers can be blackmailed. Subordinates can be seduced and, worst case scenario, being inside your home can be just as dangerous as going out. Plus, the girls were persistent and vicious. Therefore, nobody in or out of the Mafia wanted to be blacklisted by said fangirls.

The only thing Mafia families _could_ do was increase their security levels and hope they won't get through it. Tsuna still shuddered at how easily the girls tore apart their defensive measures last year. That alone spoke a great volume since the Vongola's security system was among the best in the world.

"Don't worry about it. We'll… figure out something," Shoichi said hesitantly. "We have Reborn and the Varia. If thing get worse, we can ask Shimon and Cavallone to help us."

"The Varia is at our mansion?" Tsuna raised his eyebrows.

That was surprising. Xanxus rarely went to the Vongola Mansion when Nono was in power, and even less now that the brunet had taken over. He only did it when there was an emergency or had been forced by Tsuna beforehand.

"For safety purposes. Their base is not protected enough," Shoichi said carefully.

Tsuna nodded with a solemn expression. He would do just as Xanxus did if he was in his shoes. Last year, the Varia's base had been ransacked to the point where it was virtually empty. The thought of dealing with paperwork and damages again gave the brunet a huge headache. Tsuna was brought back to reality when the technician's hologram started to blur.

"It seems my time is running out," Shoichi said hastily and slightly in panic. "Reborn-san told me not to tell you since this might change the future, but I think it's important for you to know. Help Daemon with his problem, and whatever you do, don't—"

Before Shoichi could finish his words, the hologram faded away, leaving everyone hanging and confused. 'What did Shoichi want to tell us?' the group wondered. Tsuna silently hoped that whatever he wanted to say wasn't too important, but the returning headache was telling him otherwise.

"Ha, ha, ha," Yamamoto laughed. "I guess we need to help Daemon with his problem and avoid whatever it is Shoichi said," he grinned.

Gokudera facepalmed. "You idiot, we don't even know what we need to help with and avoid!" he scowled. Yamamoto laughed it off.

"Boss," Chrome spoke, "I think Shoichi wants us to help Daemon-san and Elena-san get back together. Daemon-san _did_ look depressed when he told us Elena-san had dumped him for Cozart-san," she added.

Ryohei, on the other hand, crossed his arms. "I EXTREMELY don't understand. They're supposed to EXTREMELY love each other! Why would they EXTREMELY want to break up?" The boxer shared his input in a loud voice.

Everyone blinked at the surprisingly intelligent question that came from Ryohei. Now that they thought about it, there must be a reason to why Elena and Daemon broke up, right…?

Tsuna sighed, rubbing his forehead. Hopefully the headache disappeared before dinner, but knowing his luck, it seemed things were about to get complicated again.

Was a peaceful family gathering too much to ask for? he thought to himself.

Evidently, when you're a part of the Vongola, the answer will always be 'yes.'

* * *

><p>Reborn never felt so exhausted and on the verge of dying like this. He tried to move his hand, but no matter how much he commanded it, his hand wouldn't budge an inch. It was as if his body was made of lead. Reborn glanced around the office. There were no more mountains of paperwork in the room. It took a great deal of time, sweat, blood, and effort, but he finally managed to finish them off except for the one paper in front of him. Reborn knew well the implications of this.<p>

Only one more paperwork.

Only one more signature.

After that, he's free from this blasted paperwork and this stupid chair. He won't be seeing this stupid paperwork anymore. He could start plotting his revenge on his stupid, no-good student. Reborn smiled creepily at this thought. With newfound motivation, he shakily moved his hand.

A little bit closer.

Only an inch.

There.

Now, he just needed to sign the paper. Reborn mentally cheered as he signed it, vaguely aware he can leave the chair right now. It's been awhile since he had a good rest and shower. Unfortunately, it was short-lived when he suddenly heard…

_KABOOM!_

"VOI, what are you two thinking? Stop fighting!"

"Ushishishi, the prince will not listen to a commoner."

"Bel-sempai is too touchy. I'm just stating the truth. He has weird fashion taste."

"Ushishishi… Care to repeat that again, Froggie?"

_CRASH!_

"Oh, just let them have their fun. After all, it's been a while since we came to visit Tsu-chan."

"Boss, do we need to do something about it?"

_BANG!_

"VOI, you stupid boss, what did you do that for?"

"You're annoying. Bring me more wine."

Reborn's eyes widened at the noise. For some reason, he felt the impending doom that was about to happen. His guess was proven correct when Shoichi and Spanner came, each pushing a trolley full of paperwork.

"Reborn-san, we bring you new paperwork. This time it was the Varia," Shoichi said.

"There're another ten trolleys of paperwork outside. We'll bring them to you later," Spanner added, completely unaware that Leon had changed into a gun.

"Another ten you say?" Reborn gritted his teeth. Just when he thought he was freed from that blasted paperwork, Spanner replied with an uncertain, "Yeah," causing a dark aura to manifest itself around the hitman.

Reborn pulled out the safety pin on the gun as he decided it was time.

Time to teach everyone a lesson on why he was the greatest hitman in the world.

And time to show them why it was suicidal to create more paperwork for him to sign.


	35. Chapter 35: An Awkward Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: Hello, everyone. I'm back after a long time. Sorry that I didn't update the story. As an apology, I have include an omake at the end of each chapter. Be sure to read it. And, as usual, I would like to thank and give credit to Rekishichizu for 'beta'ing my story. Please don't forget her when you're writing your review. Btw, Rekishichizu was unable to be my beta reader starting from the next chapter. So, I currently need a new beta reader. Anyone who want to be my beta reader for this story can PM me.

Some people were asking me if getting Daemon and Elena together will change the future, resulting no Shimon arc. I personally don't think so. If Daemon and Elena are not together, then he won't have a reason to attack Tsuna in the future since the reason he did it at the first place was his love to Elena. Plus, the circumstance surrounding Elena's death was vague. The manga didn't tell in detail the event that leads to her death. We can only speculate. Anyway, don't forget to review. Review always makes me happy.

Chapter 35: An Awkward Dinner

He only wanted a dinner.

A simple, normal dinner.

Not a dinner full of people ready to maim, gut and shoot each other on the spot.

That was what Cozart told himself over and over again. Unfortunately, it was hard to convince himself otherwise. The dining room was crammed with tension. It felt like an all-out battle was going to happen at any time. Alaude and Hibari were glaring each other, their hands itching for their weapons. G was shooting a nasty glare at Tsuna, making the boy squirm in his seat. Of course, Gokudera returned the glare with matching force. There was no way he's going to let anyone threaten Juudaime like that.

Needless to say, it was very awkward. Nobody was starting a conversation. The silence was starting to suffocate Cozart. And to make things worse, Daemon had been sending him a 'You better watch your back because the minute you turn your back, I'm going to make your life a living hell' type of glare. The redhead tried to ignore it but failed miserably. Cozart could feel the glare boring into his skull from across the table. Silently, he wondered why he got involved in Elena's scheme. He could still remember the time when she had approached him. If only he had controlled himself better back then, Daemon's wrath would have been the least of his worries.

* * *

><p>~Flashback to one month ago~<p>

It was a wonderful day. The sun was out and shining nicely. The birds were chirping and flying happily. It was the perfect day to visit a friend. And that was exactly what Cozart did.

After a 45-minute ride, he arrived at Vongola Mansion. The maids welcomed him warmly. He's visited Vongola Mansion so many times now that the workers there recognized him on sight. Knowing that he was a regular guest and one of Vongola Primo's best friends, they allowed him to roam around. And so, without any hesitation, he went to Giotto's office. Thinking back, he wished he hadn't entered Giotto's office. For as soon as he entered the office, he found something that he could hardly believe. It was like a dream come true.

On top of the table was a beautiful, delicious-looking roll cake.

Now, Cozart may not be a sweet freak like Giotto; however, he _did_ have a soft spot for roll cakes. He just couldn't resist them. It's weird. He could control himself in front of other deserts. But, when it came to roll cake, he wanted to devour every single one of them on sight. That's how obsessed he was with roll cake. So, when he saw said cake in front of him, he was torn apart.

Should he eat it or not?

It was a very tough decision for Cozart. He paced around to help him think. Obviously the cake belonged to Giotto since it was on his table. But, Giotto was not around. Therefore, Giotto probably won't know he took a bite of the roll cake. On the other hand, Giotto is his best friend. He can't just take his best friend's cake like that. But – Cozart paused a moment in his pacing – he didn't think Giotto will be mad at him either. They're best friends, right? Then again, Giotto was never known to spare anyone who had eaten his cakes. His Guardians were living proof. Cozart really did not want to be a victim in one of the blond's pranks.

On the second thought, he was only going to take a tiny, microscopic bite. Giotto won't notice it at all… No, he must be strong. He can't do such things to his best friend. He must resist the temptation. For crying out loud, he's the boss of Shimon family. He had to be strong. Cozart looked at the roll cake again. It was a bad decision. Because as soon as his eyes fell on the roll cake, his resolve immediately crumbled. In a flash, he was sitting in Giotto's chair, biting into a small piece of roll cake.

At that moment, Cozart felt he was in heaven. He absent-mindedly stuffed the cake into his mouth. Unfortunately, that was also Cozart's downfall. Without realizing it, he had already eaten the entire roll cake, leaving nothing left behind. As he took notice of the cleaned plate, Cozart became horrified. What should he do now?

In the midst of his panic, the door opened and someone entered the office. Fortunately, it was Elena. Cozart thanked his lucky stars that it was not Giotto. There was a moment of silence between them before Elena broke it.

"You ate Giotto's roll cake," she stated in a dubious tone.

"Errr, yeah," Cozart nodded hesitantly.

There was no point in denying it. He had been caught red-handed. Plus, it was hard to play the innocent card when you had roll cake crumbles on your mouth. Besides, it's not like Elena will give away his secret, right? Cozart tried to convince himself again as he saw a creepy, sadistic smile spread across Elena's beautiful face.

"I'm going to tell him," she grinned maniacally, bolting right out of the office.

Cozart instinctively chased after Elena. There was no way he's going to let Elena tattle to Giotto. The blond will kill him for sure. It took him a while, but he managed to catch up to Elena at the corner and grabbed her wrist.

"Elena, please don't tell Giotto about it. I'll do anything for you," Cozart begged desperately.

She blinked for a moment before smiling widely. "Anything, you say?"

Cozart gulped. He didn't know why but, on second thought, he probably should have thought first before sprouting promises. Elena's smile was anything but innocent right now, and it made him want to run for the hills.

"Then, I want you to be my boyfriend," Elena said.

"Wh-what!" Cozart exclaimed. "Why would you want me to be your boyfriend? Aren't you with Daemon?"

To say Cozart was shocked was an understatement. He really didn't expect such a request from Elena. He was starting to get a headache. It really didn't make sense at all. The woman in front of him never showed any romantic interest in him. So, what's with the sudden confession?

"We just broke up," she said in a monotonous tone.

That really threw Cozart out on a loop. Before he knew it, he had blurted out his questions. "What? Since when? Why did none of us know about this?"

"Oh, not too long," Elena said casually. However, Cozart could sense the sadness laced in her voice. "So, are you going to be my boyfriend or not?"

"What? I'm not going to be your boyfriend," Cozart exclaimed loudly.

Elena looked unfazed by Cozart's outburst. In fact, she was grinning. "Oh, I don't think you have a choice."

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY ROLL CAKE?!" A thunderous shout can be heard coming from a certain office.

Cozart instantly knew he was screwed in many ways. Resigning to his fate, he asked, "What should I do?"

And that was how he was dragged into Elena's 'let's make Daemon jealous so he realizes how neglectful he is as a boyfriend and fiancée' grand scheme.

~End of flashback~

* * *

><p>It was easy to tell that Elena didn't enjoy being his girlfriend. She just wanted to make Daemon jealous so that she could get his attention. And aside from that, no one knew what had really happened. Elena insisted they were no longer lovers, but Daemon denied everything that Elena said. Needless to say, it was very confusing. Which one of them was right? And to make things worse, Elena kept giving mixed signals. Sometimes, she looked like she was still in love with Daemon. Yet at other times, she acted as if Daemon was her worst enemy.<p>

At the beginning, Cozart thought the scheme would last for a week at most. Unfortunately, Elena and Daemon were both prideful and stubborn. Thus, instead of one week, it dragged into one month. Cozart really wanted to yell in frustration. Why can't they just get along with each other? Better yet, why can't they just confess their feelings? Why did they both have to play hard to get? And even worse, why did they have to drag _him_ into this mess? Luckily, a certain brunet brought Cozart out from his 'emo' corner with an attempt to make conversation.

"It's really a great dinner, right?" Tsuna said nervously. To be honest, the tension in the dining room was starting to get to his nerves.

"The dinner hasn't even started," Daemon grumbled, and then glared at Cozart again. "In fact, it would be nice if the dinner started without certain people."

"Don't talk to Juudaime like that," Gokudera growled, trying to defend Tsuna's honor.

"I can say whatever and however I want," Daemon replied, and redirected the glare with ten-fold force.

"Take that _back_," Gokudera yelled, flashing his dynamite.

And with that the tension had reached its breaking point. Everyone was ready to bring out their weapons and start an all-out battle again. Well, it's natural considering the fact that some people had unfinished business to take care of.

_SLAM! _

"That's enough. It's dinner time. A time where everyone has a good time together with their family. Not constantly trying to kill each other," Giotto growled, slamming his fists on the dining table again. He then spoke in a soft tone, "Why don't we just get along? We're family."

"Yeah, right. Try to tell them that," G scoffed. "I doubt any one of us can stay together within a hundred meters without trying to destroy and/or kill anything."

Giotto narrowed his eyes before smiling wickedly. "Well then, since everyone has bonding issues, why don't we do some family activities?" He glared at everyone, daring them to contradict him. "That is, if you don't have any problems with it."

Said people immediately clamped their mouths. It was common knowledge, after all, that you didn't mess with Vongola Primo when he's serious. Otherwise, they will get into a lot of trouble.

"So, what are we going to do, Giotto-san?" Tsuna asked cautiously.

Giotto smiled innocently at Tsuna's question. Actually, it was way too innocent. It almost looked like he was hatching an evil, world domination plan. Slowly, and as less obvious as they could, everyone tried to back away from Giotto.

"Don't worry. It's something that everyone likes. We're going to play a game of Truth or Dare," Giotto announced.

Everyone shuddered. They suddenly felt something dreadful was going to happen. And, well, they should.

Because this will lead to the fourth craziest moment in Vongola's history:

The Legendary Throwing War.

* * *

><p>AN: This is an omake based on Chapter 17. I figure I should expend more on Giotto's regret when he was being shot by the enemy. So, enjoy.

OMAKE: Giotto's Revenge

Chapter 1: The Beginning Of A Revenge

Giotto loved desserts, especially cakes. They always comforted him, especially when he had to endure the torture created by his stupid paperwork. Therefore, you could say it was like therapy for the Mafia boss. And that's exactly what was on his mind. After successfully ditching his paperwork and escaping G, Giotto strolled down to the kitchen, intending to eat his super ultra-delicious chocolate cake that he'd went through a lot of trouble to get. However, his hope was shattered when he saw Alaude finishing up his ultra-delicious chocolate cake.

Giotto's jaw dropped to the floor.

He couldn't believe it.

His super ultra-delicious chocolate cake had been eaten.

And he didn't even get to have a bite of it.

As soon as that realization sunk in Giotto's head, it was as if the world around the blond had crashed. He gawked at his Could Guardian until said Guardian noticed him.

"Hn, what do you want?" Alaude asked indifferently.

"Tha–that was my cake," Giotto exclaimed in a devastated tone, pointing a shaking finger at Alaude. "You – you ate my cake."

"So what? It's just a cake. You can buy it again," Alaude answered without a hint of regret or guilt anywhere.

Giotto gawked at Alaude's answer. His mind went numb. _It's just a cake?_ How could Alaude say such thing to his beloved, super ultra-delicious chocolate cake like that! Before he could explode in anger, a certain redhead dragged him out of the kitchen.

"Giotto, this isn't time for you to ditch your paperwork. You still have a lot that needs to be done today," G scolded, unaware of his boss's inner turmoil as he dragged the blond to his office.

As he was being pulled away from the kitchen, Giotto saw Alaude eat the rest of the cake until there was nothing left on the plate.

At that moment, Giotto swore he would get revenge on Alaude for eating his super ultra-delicious chocolate cake.

And that's how Giotto's revenge began.


	36. Chapter 36: Paperwork Showdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I'm still finding a new beta reader. Anyone has suggestion where I can find one? This chapter was beta'ed by Rekishichizu. (I know I tell you Chapter 35 will be the last chapter beta'ed by her. But, I still haven't found new beta reader. So, she's helping me out for this chapter.) I thank and give credit to her for her wonderful job in 'beta'ing my story. Anyway, don't forget to review. Review always makes me one happy writer.

Chapter 36: A Paperwork Showdown

The Varia and Reborn were glaring hard at Shoichi. The poor redheaded technician tried (and failed) to make himself disappear. Sometimes, he really hated being the bearer of bad news.

'_Why can't anyone else do it?'_ Shoichi mentally wailed.

A clicking sound from a gun pulled Shoichi out from his inner turmoil. He watched in horror as the Varia and Reborn each took out their weapons. He gulped as Xanxus pointed the gun in his direction.

"Trash, what do you mean by there's only _one_ safe room," Xanxus hissed.

Shoichi squirmed like a worm under their glare. "Well, you see, because of your bickering, you've practically destroyed all the other safe rooms except for one."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Reborn narrowed his eyes.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Shoichi said hastily. "If you want, we still have other guest rooms."

"Ones without any security measures against the fangirls," Reborn stated flatly. "Are you _trying_ to get us killed?"

"I – I'm sorry. Can't you guys just share with each other?" Shoichi suggested timidly.

"Ushishishi… The prince does not like to share his room with other commoners," Bel stated.

"VOOII, what do you mean by _your_ room?" Squalo yelled. "If anyone is going to get that room, it would be me."

Shoichi sighed, raking his hair. Why can't they just share the room? The room was large enough for everyone to fit in. But, noooo. They just had to act as if they owned the world. How selfish can they be? And, they even had the nerve to blame him for everything that happened when he had worked non-stop for two weeks preparing those safe rooms. For crying out loud, he was not the one who blasted, slashed, and exploded everything up! It made Shoichi angry. And when Shoichi was angry, nothing good came out from it. Spanner knew this all too well. So, when Shoichi started to form a creepy grin, Spanner made the wise choice to stay as far as possible from Shoichi.

"Trash, give the room to me," Xanxus demanded, ignoring his subordinates' bickering.

Reborn clicked his tongue in annoyance. "The room is mine. Not yours."

"No. It's mine," Xanxus growled, glaring at the tiny hitman.

"No. It's mine," Reborn mimicked Xanxus's words in a mocking way, not wanting to back down.

Shoichi decided it was the right time to intervene before they destroyed the mansion. "I know how much you want that room. However, you need to file the necessary paperwork first before you can book it."

"VOOIII, what do you think the Vongola Mansion is? A freaking hotel? We don't need to book a room to stay here," Squalo said rather loudly.

Shoichi only smiled as he pulled a very thick book from out of nowhere. "That's certainly not what the rulebook says." He flicked through the book until he stopped at a certain page. Making sure everyone was paying attention to him, Shoichi continued, "Paragraph 3 Section 18 Subsection A of the Revised 10th Edition of Vongola Mafia Rulebook states that any requests made on **anything** must be supported by necessary paperwork where it will be processed on first come, first serve basis. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of such request.

"That means that if you want to make a request on the room for yourself, you need to file the necessary paperwork." The redheaded technician looked at everyone as he closed the book. Before anyone could protest, Shoichi continued in a firm voice. "And, no. We can't change the rule. This rule has been decreed by Sawada-san himself as one of the Ten Vongola Decimo Rules when he became Vongola Decimo."

Everyone went silent at this. It's a tradition in the Vongola that had been passed down for generations, stating that whenever an heir took over as Boss, he or she had the right to make ten rules that everyone needed to follow no matter what. These rules were known as the Ten Vongola Rules, named after the boss of the current generation. The only way to change the rules were if the boss himself changed the rules or if the boss stepped down from his position and let a new heir take over. The new heir would then decide whether he wants to retain the old rules or make new ones.

Asking Tsuna to change the stupid paperwork rule right now was not an option since he had stupidly got himself stuck in the past with his Guardians. And since Tsuna never left behind a resignation letter and is still very much alive, they cannot just simply choose another heir and then force the poor heir to change the rule. That will be called treachery, so that meant they only had one option left.

With a tone of resignation, Reborn asked on behalf of everyone, "How much paperwork do we need to do?"

Shoichi gave them a well-hidden sadistic smirk.

* * *

><p>As he sat at the judge's table, Spanner couldn't help but contemplate about his friend. He always thought he knew Shoichi better than anyone else. After all, he was Shoichi's best friend. But right now, he wasn't so sure if he actually knew the redhead anymore. I mean, who knew Shoichi could be such a sadistic guy? Spanner really hoped that Byakuran's personality hadn't rubbed off on his best friend.<p>

"Shoichi, are you _sure_ it's okay to do this?" Spanner asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, Spanner. I've got everything under control. If this works, we might not have to do anything at all," Shoichi spoke cheerfully. "Now, hush. The showdown is about to start."

Spanner rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to the contenders of the showdown. The Varia and Reborn had taken their seat. Beside each of them was a trolley full of paperwork. Everyone was eager and impatient to get started.

Shoichi coughed to get their attention. "As everyone knows, if you want to stay in the _last_ safe room, you need to file in proper paperwork. We'll do it according to first come, first serve basis. Whoever finishes the paperwork first within the time limit of three hours will have their request approved. To make sure everyone has an equal chance, we will begin at the same time. Starting…" Shoichi glanced at his watch before looking sharply at them. "…right now."

With that, everyone picked up their pens and started to furiously sign the paperwork.

* * *

><p>Xanxus stared at a piece of paperwork on his desk. To be completely honest, he had never done any paperwork before. That's Squalo's job. He just sat on his throne-like seat, drinking his wine while Squalo did the paperwork. However, Squalo was not here to help him now since that moron decided he wanted the room all for himself. So, basically Xanxus is stuck with the paperwork without a clue on how to do it. This made him feel irritated and annoyed. And when Xanxus got irritated and annoyed, destruction always followed.<p>

So, really. It was not that surprising when Xanxus pulled out his guns, loaded them with his Sky Flame, and then fired them at his paperwork. As the place became clouded with smoke, he smirked with satisfaction. In Xanxus's book, he had just 'finished' his paperwork, even though he now had nothing to turn in. Unfortunately, he didn't take into account that the paperwork could survive such a disastrous attack. So, no one could really blame Xanxus for staring at the paperwork dumbly once the smoke had cleared.

"You can't destroy the paperwork, Xanxus. It's indestructible. Trust me. Not even your Flames of Wrath can destroy it," Reborn chuckled, finding it amusing to watch Xanxus's reaction even though he secretly wished Xanxus could destroy the paperwork so that he can do the same thing, too.

"Don't make me laugh. Watch this," Xanxus growled, focusing his Flames of Wrath into his guns at maximum level.

_KABOOMM!_

Xanxus smirked smugly. There's no way the paperwork can survive his Flames of Wrath. But, to his horror, the paperwork was still 'alive'. Reborn couldn't take it anymore. He burst into a great fit of laughter at Xanxus's failed attempt. Xanxus glared a hole into Reborn's skull. However, Reborn was unfazed. Instead, he looked straight at Xanxus and smirked.

"Watch how I use a gun to properly 'finish' my paperwork," Reborn said smugly.

With that, Reborn threw his paperwork into the air. While the paperwork was still in the air, he pulled out his gun and fired ink bullets onto every single piece of paper. As soon as the bullet touched the paperwork, it formed Reborn's signature. Xanxus watched dumbly at how Reborn had managed to sign a hundred papers in less than a minute. Satisfied with his accurate shots, Reborn watched the paperwork pile up nicely on his table as they descended to the ground.

"And that's how you 'finish' paperwork. I hope you can finish them in time, too," Reborn snickered as he passed by Xanxus with a smug look. "But, I don't really think it's necessary since I finished it first." With that, Reborn proceeded to the judge's table and placed the paperwork in front of two technicians. "Well, are you going to process my application or not? I've finish the paperwork."

To say Shoichi and Spanner were surprised at how fast Reborn finished his paperwork was an understatement. They never thought there could be someone who can finish such a large amount in such a short time.

"Alright, we'll process it right now," Shoichi said.

As both technicians were going through the paperwork, Reborn became giddy with happiness. He had finally beaten the accursed paperwork. Not to mention, he can now get the whole room for himself. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long.

"I'm sorry, Reborn-san, but we have to reject your application," Shoichi said nervously.

"What do you mean by its rejected?" Reborn growled. "I signed the paperwork like I'm supposed to."

"That's true. But, you didn't fill in the details at all. You were merely just signing them," Spanner interjected, showing the incomplete paperwork. "See, you even didn't write your name at all." He then gave Reborn an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but we have to reject your application."

Reborn wanted to yell in frustration. Xanxus, on the other hand, found this situation to be quite amusing. In fact, he didn't even bother to hide his laugh.

"Oh, that's really hilarious. You forgot to write your name. I never knew the greatest hitman in the world had the memory span of a baby," Xanxus pretended to think for a moment before giving Reborn an incredulous look. "Oh, wait. I forgot. You _are_ a baby."

Reborn gritted his teeth. "I am _not_ a baby."

"Yes, you are," Xanxus said.

"No. I'm. Not." Reborn growled dangerously.

"Oohh, is wittle baby Reborn trying to be a big boy? How cute," Xanxus cooed.

That snapped whatever little patience Reborn had left, especially when he started hearing some muffled snickers and laughter around the room. Without warning, he pulled a bucket of ink out of nowhere and poured its contents on top of all of Xanxus's paperwork. Xanxus's jaw dropped to the ground as he saw his all of his efforts go down the drain.

"Y-you… Wh-what did you just…" Xanxus spluttered incoherently.

"Oohh, does wittle Xanxus not know how to speak? Does he want the great Reborn-sama to teach him?" Reborn cooed mockingly.

Xanxus growled in anger. Without thinking, he picked up a bucket of ink and threw it at Reborn. Unfortunately for him, Reborn dodged the bucket and instead it hit Squalo's head, ruining both his hair and paperwork. Of course, his co-workers didn't do anything about it. In fact, they laughed at him.

"Ushishishi, the prince approves Squalo's new hairstyle," Bel said.

"Ha, ha, ha, you should see your hair. It's totally black," Levi A Than wiped a tear off his face.

"If you want, I can help you do a makeover," Lussuria offered, also laughing.

_SPLASH!_

Bel, Levi, and Lussuria looked at Squalo with a horrified expression. They, too, were now dripping with ink from head to toe. Squalo, on the other hand, was smirking. As soon as the shock disappeared, they glared at him angrily. Each one of them picked up a bucket of ink and advanced towards Squalo.

"Ushishishi, the prince is not happy that his hair has been ruined. He wants revenge," Bel said sadistically.

"You're not getting away with this, Squalo," Levi muttered darkly.

"No hard feelings. It's just revenge," Lussuria giggled.

And with that, they splashed Squalo with ink. But, to their horror, Squalo had managed to evade the ink. And to make things worse, instead of making Squalo soaked in ink, they had instead splashed said liquid onto Xanxus and Reborn. For a moment, a deadly silence ensued in the room.

"You guys really have some nerve," Xanxus glared intently, wiping the ink from his face.

"Xanxus, why don't we call a momentary truce? Let's deal these trashes first before we continue with our fight," Reborn suggested.

"Deal."

With that, they advanced forward with guns equipped with ink bullets. Squalo, Lussuria, Bel and Levi started to scramble around, finding more ink to be made into weapons.

After all, they won't survive the Ink War against two deadly opponents if they just sat around like sitting ducks.

* * *

><p>OMAKE: Giotto's Revenge<p>

Chapter 2: More People On The List

As G dragged the blond to his office, Giotto still could not overcome the shock of seeing Alaude eat his super ultra-delicious chocolate cake. In fact, he was so shocked that he didn't notice his chair glowing with a strange light and G grinning like a madman. He was only brought out from his shock-induced state when G dumped a huge stack of paperwork in front of him. The first thing that went through Giotto's mind when he saw the stack was to get up from the chair and run as far away as he could. And, that's exactly what he did. If only…

…he didn't get stuck in his chair.

Needless to say, Giotto was bewildered. He looked at the grinning G for an explanation.

"I asked Tablot to invent a chair that will make you stuck on it until you finish your paperwork," G said gleefully.

"What? You can't do this. I refuse to do this paperwork!" Giotto yelled, still struggling with his chair.

"Nu-uh," G wiggled his finger like a scolding mother. "If you don't finish them as fast as possible, something bad is going to happen."

Giotto really didn't like the glint he saw in G's eyes. His suspicion was proven true when the door swung opened, revealing Lampo with blueberry cheesecake and Black Forest cake. _His_ blueberry cheesecake and Black Forest cake. The cakes that he had stashed and hidden secretly away from his family. Lampo then put those cakes on a table not far from Giotto's desk. Giotto watched G cautiously. His eyes widened when he saw G pick up knife and cut a piece of cake for him and Lampo. He suddenly had a dreadful feeling.

"W-what are you doing?" Giotto shuttered.

"Eating your blueberry cake," G answered innocently as he munched on said cake.

"Giotto, you have a very delicious Black Forest cake," Lampo commented as he stuffed his mouth with more cake.

"You can't do this! I won't let you!" Giotto cried angrily, struggling more violently than before.

"Then start doing your paperwork. The faster you finish your paperwork, the faster you can leave that chair, and the faster you can stop us from eating your cake," G said casually. "Think it of as a motivation for you to do your paperwork."

Giotto could only gape like an idiot before he was snapped out of his thoughts by G's shouting. "You better start finishing your paperwork before we eat all your cakes!"

As Giotto scrambled to get his pen, he swore in his heart. _'I'm going to get you two for this.'_


	37. Chapter 37: A Bittersweet Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

Chapter 37: A Bittersweet Truth

A/N: Here's the new chapter (^^). Good news everyone. I found a new beta reader. Her name is Darkened Fire Dragon. Therefore, I would like to thank and give credit to her for 'beta'ing my story. Please don't forget her in your review. Anyway, review always makes me happy.

"Do we really have to do this? Can't we just eat dinner and go to bed after that?" Lampo complained.

"No," Giotto spoke sternly. "We all are going to participate in this activity. By _all_, I meant everyone in this dining room."

"Urmm Giotto-san, can't we do this at another time?" Tsuna asked timidly.

"No. To be honest, I am tired of dealing with all of your bickering. Since it's very clear that all these stupid bickering stem from our _lack_ of communication, I say we should fix this problem by improving our communication through truth or dare." Giotto explained.

"You mean by exposing our _darkest_ secrets and humiliating ourselves in front of each other?" Daemon interjected.

"And why at dinner? I'm starved. I don't want to miss dinner because of this game." Lampo whined.

"First of all, we are not exposing our darkest secrets and humiliating ourselves in front of each other, we are just letting people get to know us better by being honest and opened up to them." Giotto glared at Daemon before turning to Lampo. "We're doing this at dinner because this is the perfect time for us to get together. And no, we're not going to miss any dinner. We will stop playing the game when our dinner is served."

After his speech, Giotto gave his best 'You better do what I say or else' glare to everyone. Needless to say, it was very effective. Everyone just swallowed their complaints and got ready to start the game.

"So, who will be the first one?" Tsuna asked nervously.

No one could blame Tsuna for being nervous. They were nervous too. However, one of them saw this as a great opportunity to complete his mission.

"I'll go first Juudaime!" Gokudera shot his hand up with full excitement.

"Well, good to know someone is eager to play this game," Mukuro said sarcastically.

"All right, Gokudera will start first. Who do you want to choose first?" Giotto smiled, glad to know someone was supporting his idea.

"You," Gokudera pointed at Giotto.

"Me?" Giotto blinked in confusion. He never expected he would be chosen first. He shrugged after a moment. "Sure, why not?"

"Okay, so, Truth or Dare?" Gokudera asked.

"Truth," Giotto answered confidently.

Gokudera grinned at Giotto's answer and for some reason, it made Giotto very uncomfortable. It was as if the silver haired boy had something up his sleeve. But, he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.

"Do you ever feel regret or angry for being forced to create Vongola and become it's boss?" Gokudera blurted out the question without hesitation.

G choked out his drink as everyone became tensed. Clearly nobody expected such blunt question from Gokudera. They discreetly took a look at Giotto, wondering if he will explode in anger. Surprisingly, Giotto was not angry, instead, he was gaping like a gold fish.

"Wh-what?" Giotto sputtered. "Why are you asking that kind of question?"

"Well, G-san felt guilty for forcing you to create Vongola. He thought you're mad at him," Gokudera explained.

Needless to say, Giotto was shocked. He looked at G and asked, "G, is that true?"

"I don't know what are you talking about?" G exclaimed, trying hard to hide his panic.

"You can tell me everything G. We're best friend, right? Best friend don't hide thing from each other," Giotto said softly.

G looked away from Giotto and glared at Gokudera. "Why are you doing this? Are you trying to set me up?" G hissed.

"Please, I'm not low enough to do that. I have my own moral." Gokudera scoffed. "I just want to show you how _real_ right hand man acts."

"_Real_ right hand man? Are you implying I'm a not good right hand man?" G narrowed his eyes.

"A real right hand man would maintain a good relationship with their boss. They don't hide things from each other. In fact, they always trust and are honest to each other. Just like Juudaime and me. Not like you," Gokudera spoke with confidence.

'_Actually, Gokudera, I hide thing from you like G-san too.'_ Tsuna said mentally.

"And how is that so?" G asked.

"Well, Juudaime has never lied to me about his paperwork. He never tries to destroy them either. In fact, he does his paperwork even if I was not there to remind him of," Gokudera said smugly.

Now, Tsuna felt a bit guilty. _'Oh Gokudera, if only you knew the truth.'_

* * *

><p>~Flashback~<p>

"XX Burner!"

_KABOOM! _

Tsuna waited patiently as the dust settled down. He really hoped it worked this time. After all, he had used his strongest attack on that blasted paperwork. Surely, they won't last against his attack. Unfortunately, Tsuna didn't get his wish.

The paperwork survived his XX Burner!

As soon Tsuna recovered from his shock, his heart started to weep in desperation. _'Why, Reborn? Why? Why did you make this paperwork indestructible?'_

_Knock! Knock!_

"Juudaime, is everything okay? I heard some noise in your office…" Gokudera asked as he entered Tsuna's office, bringing a stash of paperwork.

Tsuna schooled his face immediately. "Everything is okay." Tsuna smiled. However, his smile was a bit forced when he saw what was in Gokudera's hand. "What are you bringing?"

"Oh, just more paperwork; this time it's Hibari and Mukuro," Gokudera said casually before looking around. "Say Juudaime, why did it look as if someone has torched your office?"

"Ha ha ha, just some fire accidents. You know how Lambo and his bazooka can create disaster." Tsuna laughed nervously. There was no way he's going to admit that he's trying to char his paperwork. Beside, it was true, Lambo and his bazooka often created disasters.

"That stupid cow," Gokudera mumbled with irritation as he walked out the door to give a lecture to Lambo. "I'll make sure he learns his lesson Juudaime."

"Don't be too harsh on him Gokudera." Tsuna called out before Gokudera could leave. However, as soon as Gokudera left the room and closed the door, Tsuna collapsed on the floor and wept. "Why? Why do I have to do more paperwork?"

* * *

><p>'<em>The only reason I don't destroy the paperwork is because I can't destroy them. God knows how Reborn made them indestructible.'<em> Tsuna sighed mentally.

"Really, Tsuna didn't try to destroy them? And he did them without being forced?" G gaped at Gokudera. "You're one lucky brat, I have to chase Giotto all around the mansion just to get him sign a few sheets of paper," G grumbled, obviously feeling jealous of Gokudera.

'_Well it's not because I want to, it's because I have to. My life is at stake.' _Tsuna thought with despair.

* * *

><p>~Flashback~<p>

Read, signed and filed.

Read, signed and filed.

Read, signed and filed.

"Re-Reborn, can I take a break?" Tsuna pleaded, as he carefully eyed the gun.

"Dame-Tsuna, you still have not finished your paperwork." Reborn said, pointing his gun at his student's head.

Tsuna whimpered. "Reborn, can you stop pointing your gun at me?"

"Not until you've done your paperwork." Reborn smiled sadistically. "Now, do your works or else…"

The glint in Reborn's eyes was more than enough to motivate Tsuna to finish his paperwork. And to think he could take a break while Gokudera was away. What a mistake to think that way.

"Do your work Dame-Tsuna."

* * *

><p>Tsuna shuddered involuntarily. <em>'Stop it Tsuna. Reborn is not here. He can't kill you right now.'<em>

G glared at Giotto. "Giotto, why can't you be like Tsuna? Look at him, he did his work like he's supposed to."

"W-well, I …" Giotto was stumped before he realized something. "Hey, don't change the subject. Why do you think I'm mad at you?"

G sighed, unable to look straight at his best friend's eyes. "You always say you don't want to be a boss. If you could find a successor right now, you would dump your boss position and flee to a faraway place immediately."

"Well, that's not true. I don't really say things like that." Giotto protested.

"You also said you wouldn't have become the boss if it was not because of us." G said quietly.

Everyone was looking intensely at the drama that unfolded in front of them. Just to add the mood, Mukuro created the sound effects, the sea and seagull with his illusions while Chrome created a sunset and beach with her power. As a finishing touch, Daemon added sparkling stars and fluffy bubbles in the background. Alaude and Hibari twitched at the decorations.

"What are you doing?" Alaude hissed.

"Just messing around. Besides, it's not like they are aware of it." Daemon replied.

True to Daemon's word, G and Giotto didn't notice anything. They were too caught up with their crisis.

Giotto took a deep breath. "G, it's true I didn't want to be a mafia boss at the beginning. I just wanted to create a vigilant group to defend our towns-people. Not a mafia group."

"So, you _are_ mad at me," G said, ready to leave the dining room.

"No damn it, Listen to what I'm going to say first," Giotto nearly shouted at G. He then calmed himself. "It's true I don't want to be a boss. It always got me into a lot of trouble and paperwork." At this, Giotto and Tsuna shuddered. "But know this G, I've never been mad or blamed you for it. It was my decision to become a boss. In fact, I'm grateful to you for that."

"You're grateful to me?" G asked slowly before shouting desperately. "But, why? Why didn't you become mad at me? I got you into a lot of dangerous situations!"

"True, you got me into a lot of trouble especially with the paperwork," Giotto nodded and gave a sincere smile. "But because of it, I found irreplaceable family and friends that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."

"Re-really?" G choked.

"Really." Giotto answered firmly.

The rests were watching the exchange with awkward feelings. It was as if they were intruding on G and Giotto's private moment.

"What an overdramatic." Daemon muttered.

"Ma, ma, ma, don't be like that. It's not everyday we could see such fluffy scene." Asari chided gently.

G felt a warm feeling in his chest when he heard Giotto's answer. He always had his doubts; he always thought he was ruining his best friend's life. But right now, he knew for sure that he didn't make such mistake. With that, his Vongola ring started to glow with a red color. Tsuna's eyes widened at that sight. He discreetly looked at his Vongola Gear, and true to his prediction, his Vongola Gear glowed with a red color.

'_Three down and four more to go'_ Tsuna said mentally.

* * *

><p>OMAKE: Giotto's Revenge<p>

Chapter 3: Another Unfortunate Loss

Giotto tried to console himself at the loss of his super, ultra delicious chocolate cake, blueberry cheesecake, and Black Forest cake to Alaude, G, and Lampo as he dragged himself out from his office. It felt better when he remembered that his strawberry cake and vanilla cake were safely hidden in his study room. This lifted up Giotto's mood a bit. He would eat them while planning his revenge. As soon as he reached his study room, he saw someone was already there.

It was Asari.

And he was in the middle of doing something.

"Asari, what are you doing?" Giotto greeted his Rain Guardian. For some reason, his Hyper Intuition told him that his Rain Guardian was up to something.

"Nothing, I did nothing." Asari said nervously as he tried to hide something before he turned to greet his boss.

Giotto immediately froze in his track when he saw Asari's face. "Asari, what are the crumbles near your mouth?" He prayed dearly in his heart it was not what he thought it was.

"Oh, it's your strawberry cake crumbles." Asari said in a clueless tone as he wiped his face before a realization sunk in his head. He just exposed his secret.

Giotto immediately collapsed on the floor and started to brawl. "NO! My precious strawberry cake, how could you eat them?"

"Giotto, please don't cry. You still have your vanilla cake." Asari reasoned as he put a plate of vanilla cake in Giotto's hand and helped his boss to stand up.

Giotto was about to calm down when Knuckle suddenly barged into the study room and yelled on top his lungs, "Giotto, let us have a friendly match."

While making his loud declaration, Knuckle punched the air, and he accidentally knocked the vanilla cake from Giotto's hand. Everyone's eyes widened as the cake sailed in the air. Giotto dived in a desperate attempt to save his cake. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough. The cake splashed on the floor.

Silence

A deadly silence.

A dark aura started to pour out from Giotto. Asari and Knuckle took it as a cue for them to get the hell out of there. As Giotto was alone in the room, he decided to add Asari and Knuckle in his list.


	38. Chapter 38: The Legendary Throwing War

Disclaimer: I do not own Hitman Reborn.

A/N: I would like to thank and give credit to Darkened Fire Dragon for 'beta'ing my story. Please don't forget her in your review. To xanyxhi, the (period) thing was not supposed to be there. But, I forgot to remove it. (^^) I've fixed them already. Anyway, don't forget to review. Review always makes me happy.

Chapter 38: The Legendary Throwing War

~Excerpt from the book called _Vongola's History: 8 Crazy Moments That Will Leave You Laughing, Crying and/or Outright Speechless_~

_People often said arguments will bring lovers closer to each other, and Vongola Primo's Mist Guardian and his fiancée certainly took this saying to their hearts. In fact, they took it to the extreme level. One of their couple fights has actually left an imprint on Vongola's history, and was considered to be the fourth craziest moment in Vongola's history. To this day, nobody could match the sheer destruction they had made during their fight. Witnesses said the dining room was almost demolished and the couple actually broke their relationship. _

_And it all started because of a stupid question asked by a certain boy known as Mini Primo._

* * *

><p>"Can we start the game now? I don't think I can stomach your fluffy friendship moment anymore?" Mukuro said, earning a nod from everyone.<p>

"I guess it's my turn now," Giotto smiled sheepishly and turned to Tsuna. "Tsuna, truth of dare?"

Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise before he shuttered, "D-dare, please." He mentally slapped his face when he realized what he had done.

'_Smooth, Tsuna. Very smooth. Now, Giotto-san will definitely think you're an idiot and no good,'_ Tsuna internally chided himself. _'And, why did you pick a dare? What if he's making you to do something embarrassing?'_

Apparently, Giotto didn't notice Tsuna's shutter or he just chose to ignore it. He just directly asked, "I dare you to tell me more about your family member other than your Guardians."

"Other than my Guardians?" Tsuna repeated the dare slowly.

"Yes, other than your Guardians," Giotto nodded eagerly. "I'm sure your family is not only made up of your Guardians."

"Well, I have a tutor," Tsuna said slowly, contemplating what he should say about Reborn. "He taught me a lot of things." Tsuna smiled fondly at this.

'_That's right. He taught you the effective ways to blackmail, cheat, lie and dirty fight. In fact, it felt as if it was yesterday when he taught you how to flirt with girl. Without him, I don't think you can survive as a Mafia boss.'_ Inner Tsuna nodded sagely.

Tsuna continued as everyone listened tentatively. "He always finds a way to motivate me."

'_By getting you into life or death situations. Oh, don't forget his death threats when you don't finish your paperwork.'_ Inner Tsuna added helpfully to which Tsuna paled slightly.

"Tsuna, are you okay?" Giotto asked when he noticed Tsuna's paleness.

"No, no, there's nothing to worry about. Now where was I?" Tsuna shook his head before remembered something. "Oh yeah, and my family members are always helpful."

'_In adding to the amount of paperwork,'_ Inner Tsuna sighed tiredly. _'I swear they do it on purpose. You'd be surprised at the sheer amount of paperwork that the Varia creates in a short time.' _

"And they always care and get along with each other." Tsuna said, ignoring Inner Tsuna no matter how true it was.

'_Yeah right, hell will freeze over when that happens.'_ Inner Tsuna mumbled. _'In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Reborn and Varia are trying to kill each other right now.'_

* * *

><p>~At Present Time~<p>

_KABOOM!_

"Die you stupid trash!"

"In your dreams."

_CRASH!_

"VOOOIIII, who dirtied my paperwork?"

"Now, now Squalo-chan, don't be mad. It's not good for your health."

As the battle became worse and worse, two technicians chose wisely to go into hiding. They definitely didn't want to get in the middle of their battle.

"Shoichi, is it okay for us not to stop them?" Spanner asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, they will stop eventually," Shoichi answered nervously.

He certainly did hope so, because Tsuna won't be happy when he comes home, if he ever comes back.

* * *

><p>'<em>Yup, that's definitely what they're doing right now.'<em> Inner Tsuna mused.

Again, Tsuna ignored Inner Tsuna. "I guess that's all about my family. I can't tell you much without affecting the future. And, you know about my Guardians, so I'm not going to talk about them."

"That's okay," Giotto nodded with satisfaction before smiling. "Now it's your turn. Pick your target."

"Well, I want to ask Elena-san," Tsuna shuffled his legs. "So Elena-san, truth or dare?"

"Hmm, truth I guess. I don't have anything to hide unlike a certain someone." Elena said while glaring at a melon headed illusionist.

"Why did you break up with Daemon-san, Elena-san?" Tsuna asked.

Instantly, the entire room became deadly silent. It was as if someone had just dropped a nuclear bomb in the room. Everyone subtly took a glance at Elena and Daemon's reaction. Elena was shocked while Daemon was petrified to his chair. They totally didn't expect this question. Tsuna, on the other hand, was wondering if it was the right decision to ask such question. He had a feeling that Daemon's real wish wasn't to see Vongola became the most powerful Famigilia in the future, but to make up with Elena and take her back from Cozart.

By proving that the Vongola family was superior.

Tsuna thought that if he could find the reason of their fight, he could help Daemon to make up with Elena. That's why he asked the question. But from the looks on Elena and Daemon, Tsuna wondered if it was a good idea to ask the question directly like Gokudera did before.

"Urmm Elena-san, its okay if you don't want to answer it. I could pick another question." Tsuna said.

"Kufufufu, that would be unfair Tsunayoshi. Primo didn't have any problem in answering Gokudera's question. Why should we make an exception for her?" Mukuro asked innocently. "After all, I too want to know why they broke up."

"We didn't break up." Daemon shouted, slamming his hands on the dining table.

"Well, that's not what you said when you were bounded on the chair and interrogated by my dear Chrome." Mukuro answered smoothly.

Tsuna cursed his Mist Guardian internally. Trust Mukuro to make things worse. Now, they will never know what really had happened between the two lovers.

"I'm not surprised if Elena broke up with Daemon," G snorted. "He had it coming."

Before Daemon could explode, Giotto intervened, "That's enough. We're here to spend a quality time to get to know each other. Not to start a new fight. Now, shut up so that we can hear Elena's answer."

Everyone glanced at Elena, waiting for her answer. Silence fell on the dining room. Needless to say, the silence was killing everyone. They were itching to know Elena's answer.

"He's a jerk."

"Huh." That was the only intelligent response that Tsuna could think.

"He's a jerk." Elena continued as if she didn't hear anything. "He's always cheating on me with other women. In fact, he has the nerve to do it in front of me."

"Wait a minute, I never cheated with anyone." Daemon protested, getting up from his seat.

"Yes, you did!" Elena yelled, standing up abruptly from her seat.

"When?" Daemon growled. He did not like to be accused as an unfaithful boyfriend when he was anything but that.

By this time, everyone was wise enough to know that they should inch away from this couple. Of course, the said couple did not notice this because they were too busy trying to outdo each other. Tsuna watched the event unfolded worriedly from a very safe distance which was at the end of dining room and near to the exit door.

"Is it okay for us not to stop them?" Tsuna asked. "They could kill each other."

"No, it's okay. I think its better this way," Giotto shrugged. "Besides, it's about time they blow the steam away and confront each other instead of keeping it inside of them. Who knows… Maybe they will make up with each other again." He then paused and sighed. "To be honest, I'm pretty fed up with their little drama."

Primo family and Cozart nodded in agreement at Giotto's reasoning. To be honest, it was getting too old. Sure, it was fun at the beginning watching Daemon mopping around because of his rocky relationship with Elena, but it's getting annoying for them to be Daemon's counselor whenever he had a fight with Elena. Tsuna nodded and continued to watch the couple's bickering.

"When?" Elena shrieked, repeating Daemon. "When you were flirting with that Estraneo girl!"

Daemon groaned before looking at Elena and shouted. "Oh for crying out loud, you still haven't gotten over it yet? How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not flirting with that girl. I was negotiating the treaty's terms with her."

"While dancing together?" Elena scoffed, crossing her arms and defiantly glaring at Daemon. "I hardly believe you needed to dance with her to discuss the treaty's terms."

"It's a party Elena, of course there will be dancing." Daemon hissed. "What did you expect me to do? Reject her when she asked to dance with me?"

"Yeah," Elena deadpanned. "You could make an excuse, saying you want to dance with me."

"Except you don't want to dance with me," Daemon muttered. "Unlike other girls..."

"Excuse me, what's that supposed to mean?" Elena narrowed her eyes with her hands on her hips. "Are you implying I'm not girly enough?"

"What? No!" Daemon shouted before mumbling. "It's just that other girls would flock over to me to dance."

Unfortunately, Elena took that statement in the wrong way.

"I so can be like other girls. You stupid second rate, melon headed illusionist!" Elena shouted, grabbing a fork and threw it with a deadly accuracy at Daemon.

Daemon dodged the fork as it grazed his cheek and he hissed in pain and anger. Elena had really pushed Daemon's buttons. If there was anything that Daemon was sensitive about, they were definitely his hairstyle and his skill as an illusionist. And Elena had just insulted his hairstyle and skill at the same time. It was an understatement to say Daemon was angry.

"Oh yeah, what kind of girl has the strength of a gorilla?" Daemon yelled as he retaliated by throwing plate at Elena.

Elena ducked and the plate shattered. She looked at the shattered plate with disbelieved eyes. She can't believe Daemon, her beloved boyfriend, had just thrown a plate at her. This made Elena angrier.

"I AM NOT A GORILLA!" Elena shrieked, grabbing a glass and hurled it at Daemon.

And thus, the throwing war began.

First, it started with small things like spoons, forks, plates and glasses. Then it started to move to bigger objects like vases, chairs and portraits. By the time they were both panting tiredly, the dining room was totally wrecked.

"Don't think this is over cheater." Elena hissed.

"Me, a cheater? What about you? You didn't seem to have a problem dating with Cozart behind my back." Daemon sneered. At Elena's dumb look, Daemon continued. "Not that's really surprising since you're a desperate attention seeker who will never be acknowledged by her father."

The entire room became silent at Daemon's words. Daemon's eyes widened when he realized what he had just said to Elena. Elena looked like she was trying very hard not to cry on the sport. At that moment, Daemon knew he had stepped out of his boundary. So he didn't do anything when Elena approached him and slapped him really, really hard. That he had expected much after what he had said. But, he didn't expect the next thing.

"I HATE YOU, DAEMON SPADE!" Elena shouted at top of her lungs before storming away from the dining room.

Daemon was rooted to the floor. Somehow, he had a feeling he and Elena won't be together anymore.

* * *

><p>OMAKE: Giotto's Revenge<p>

A/N: Please pretend you never read Chapter 17 for additional humor.

Chapter 4: The Case of Missing Coffee

As the head of CEDEF, an intelligence organization, Alaude had to read many reports from his subordinates. As such, it was natural for him to stay up late to read them. This made him a bit grumpy and sleepy in the morning. It was a problem to Alaude since a grumpy and sleepy Alaude equaled to a clumsy Alaude. There's no way he's going to let anyone to see his clumsiness. He had a reputation that needed to uphold.

That's why a cup of hot coffee was a must for Alaude every morning.

However, someone had the nerve to hide all of his coffee stash. How the hell is he going to function properly in the morning without his coffee? He had looked everywhere in the mansion but he found nothing. Alaude's detective mind tried to deduce who was responsible to the disappearance of his beloved coffee. He had three suspects in his mind.

Suspect No. 1: Daemon.

A stupid, melon headed illusionist who always tried to get under his skin at every opportunity. It was possible for that illusionist to do that just to spite him. But, Daemon was too busy moping around about Elena. So, there was possibility he didn't do it since he was too distracted with Elena.

Suspect No. 2: Giotto.

A mafia boss who had a great craving on sweet foods especially cakes. Alaude was quite aware that Giotto could hold a grudge if he wanted, especially if it was related to his cake. Therefore, Giotto had the motive to hide all his coffee stashes. After all, Alaude had eaten Giotto's cake in front of him. But Giotto was busy with his paperwork. It was impossible for him to find and hide Alaude's coffee in short time especially while G was watching him like a hawk.

Suspect No. 3: Lampo.

The resident prankster who had nothing to do in his free time except for pulling pranks on other people. There was the possibility this whole fiasco was another one of Lampo's prank. But, Alaude never thought Lampo would be suicidal enough to pull a prank on him. That brat knew better than to prank him.

Except for them, he didn't really think there were other people who have enough motives to hide his secret stash.

So, in short, he had three suspects.

But, there's only one culprit.

Who could be that culprit?

It seemed he needed to do a bit of detective work right now if he wanted his coffee stash back.


End file.
